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Activities against

Terrorism

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Juristic Edict on Terrorism

PREFACE A torturous spate of terrorism that continues unabated for last many years has brought Muslim Umm a in general and Pakistan in particular into disrepute. There is no gainsaying the fact that the Muslims on the whole oppose and condemn terrorism in unequivocal terms and are not ready to a ccept it even as remotely related to Islam in any manner. However, a negligible minority amongst them seems to give it a tacit support. Instead of openly opposing and condemning terrorism, these people confuse the entire subject by resorting to misleading and perplexing discussions. Injustice being currently m eted out to the Muslim s in certain m atters, double standards displayed by bigger powers and their open-ended and long-term m ilitary engagements in a num ber of countries, under the pretext of eliminating terror, form some of the fundamental local, national and international causes that underpin terrorism, and add a punch to the war cry of m ilitants. Similarly, the terrorists' recourse to violence, indiscriminate massacre of humanity, suicide bom bings against innocent and peaceful people , and bomb blasts on Mosques, shrines, educational institutions, Bazaars, governmental buildings, trade centres, markets, security installations, and other public places, which are heinous, anti-hum an and ba rba rous steps in their very essence, have become a routine affair. These people justify their actions of hum an destruction and mass killing of hundreds of innocent people in the name of Jihad and thus distort, deform and confuse the entire Islamic concept of Jihad (holy struggle against evil). This situation is causing Muslims in general and the Muslim youth in particular to fall prey to doubts and reservations besides muddling their minds in respect of Jihad because those perpetrating these atrocities are from am ongst Muslim s. They pra ctice Islamic rituals, perform acts of worship and wear appearance delineated in Sharia. This has put not only the common Muslims but a dom inating m ajority of religious scholars and intellectuals too into a paradox, bewildered to know truly the exact and precise Islamic injunctions about the way of workings, methods and measures these individuals and groups have adopted to cause the havoc. Furthermore, the Western media is in wont of over-projecting the incidents and episodes of terrorism and extremism about the Muslim world, and does not at all highlight positive and constructive aspects of Islam , its peaceful teachings and anthropological philosophy and orientation. So much so, that it does not even reflect hatred, condemnation and opposition towards extremists, militants and terrorists that perm eate the Muslim societies. The negative outcom e of this attitude has appeared by way of bracketing both Islam and terrorism together. C onsequently, the western mind starts conjuring up the picture of terrorism and extremism at a slight m ention of the word 'Islam ', putting the Western-bred and educated youth in a quandary, leaving them more beleaguered than before. The present generation of Muslim youth in the entire Islamic world is also falling victim to mental confusion and decadence intellectually, practically and in the dom ain of beliefs and religious tenets.

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Because of this situation, two kinds of negative responses and destructive attitudes are form ing up: one in the form of damage to Islam and the Muslim world, and second a threat to the Western world in particular and entire humanity in general. The dam age to Islam and Muslim world is that the Muslim youth, not completely and com prehensively aware of Islamic teachings, regard terrorism and extremism as emanating from religious teachings and attitudes of religious people under the influence of m edia; hence, they are getting alienated from religion. This misplaced thinking is leading them to atheism, posing lethal dangers to the Muslim Umm a in future. Contrary to this, the dam age threatening the Western world in pa rticular, and entire humanity in general, is that the above-m entioned policies and racial profiling of the Muslim s is inciting negative response among some of the Muslim youths who regard these forays against Islam as an organized conspiracy and enmity by some influential circles in the western world. By way of reaction, they are either gradually becoming extremists, militants and terrorists, departing moderation and poised outlook on life , charged with hatred and revenge, or are being grown and groomed into the design. Thus, the W estern policies are instrumental in producing and inducting new potential terrorist recruits and workforce, with no end in sight. In both the cases, the Muslim Umm a as well as hum anity are heading towards a catastrophe. Moreover, these circumstances are heightening tension, creating larger trust deficits between the Islam ic and the Western worlds. The increase in terrorism is paving the way for greater foreign interference in and pressure on the Muslim states. This widening gulf is not only pushing the hum anity towards inter-faith antagonism at the global level but also reducing to nothingness the possibilities of peace, tolerance and mutual coexistence am ong different hum an societies on the globe. We thought it necessary, under these circumstances, to put the Islamic stance on terrorism precisely in its right perspective before the Western and Islamic worlds, in the light of the Holy Quran, Prophetic traditions and Books of Jurisprudence and Beliefs. We want to put across this point of view before all the significant institutions, valuable think tanks and influential opinion-m aking organizations in the world so that the Muslim and non-Muslim circles, entertaining doubts and reservations about Islam, are enabled to understand Islam’s standpoint on terrorism more clearly and unambiguously. The contents of this research work have been summ arized here briefly. The first chapter of this document, explaining and elaborating the m eaning of Islam, discusses its three grades i.e . Islam (peace), Im an (faith) and Ehsan (Spiritual Excellence). These three words, both literally and metaphorically, represent peace, safety, mercy, tolerance, forbearance, love, affection, benevolence and respect for hum anity. It has been pro ven in the second chapter of this document through dozens of Q uranic verses and Prophetic traditions that the mass killing of Muslims and perpetration of terrorism are not only unlawful and forbidden in Islam but also denote the rejection of faith. Through reference to the expositions and opinions of jurists and experts of Exegeses and Hadith, it has been established that all the learned authorities have held the same opinion about terrorism in 1400-year-old history of Islam.

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The third chapter of this edict describes the rights of non-Muslim citizens quite com prehensively. The opinions of all the leading jurists have also been listed in the light of various Q uranic verses and Prophetic traditions. In addition to that, the most important point this research study has undertaken to make revolves around the thought, ideology and mindset, which pits a Muslim against another and finally leads him to massacre innocent hum anity. Such a mindset not only regards the killing of women shopping in m arkets and School-going girls permissible but also a m eans of earning rewards and spiritual benefits. What power or con viction rouses him to kill people gathered in the mosque, and earn Paradise through carnage? W hy does a terrorist decide to end his own life , the greatest blessing of Allah Almighty, with his own hands through suicide bombings? H ow he comes to believe that, by killing innocent Muslims through suicide bombing, he would become a m artyr and enter Paradise? These are the questions whirling in the mind of every person possessing common sense. While furnishing befitting answers to these emerging questions, we have resorted to those historical facts, besides scholarly arguments, which the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upo n him) himself identified. Undertaking the comprehensive analysis of signs, beliefs and ideologies of Khawarij through the Quranic Verses, Prophetic traditions and jurisprudential opinions of jurists, we have established that the terrorists are the Khawarij of the contemporary times. After declaring this forbidden terrorist act rebellion, gory brutality on earth and an act of infidelity, we have drawn the attention of all the responsible powers and stakeholders under the topic, "Call to Reflect and Reform" to the need of e liminating all the factors that cause people to entertain doubts, and reinforce the hidden hands actively engaged in spreading the plague around. Another theme under discussion these days emphasizes that since foreign imperialist powers are m aking unwarranted and unjustified interference in Muslim countries including Pakistan, the so-called Jihadi groups have com e in their way to launch the offensive, inflicting upon them a devastating blow. Their action though not right and justifiable, they should not be reviled and condem ned because their intention is to defend Islam. In our view, this is an awful witticism and a deplorable stance. To rem ove the misconception, we have specified a brief portion of the treatise in the beginning to this subject as well, bringing to the fore the fact in the light of the Q uran and Hadith that evil cannot become good under any circumstances, nor can oppression transform itself into virtuous deed due to goodness of intention. After these explanatory submissions, we also regard it our fundamental duty to let everyone know without any grain of doubt that we are going ahead with the publication of this research work solely for the sake of respect and dignity of Islam and service of hum anity. We do not mean to condone or approve the unpopular and unwise policies of global powers through this Edict, nor do we aim to justify the wrong policies of any governm ent including that of Pakistan. We neither seek pleasure of any government, nor tribute or appreciation from any international power or organization. Like always, we have taken initiative and are performing this task as a part of our religious obligations. Our objective in doing so is to wash off the stain of terrorism from the fair face of Islam, familiarizing the Muslims with real teachings of the Holy Q uran and Sunna and try to rid the suffering humanity of the raging fire of terrorism.

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May Almighty Allah bless this endeavour with H is benevolent acceptance through the holy means of His Beloved Messenger (blessings a nd peace be upon him).

The questions striking minds and their brief answers The heart-stabbing gory scenes of the acts of terrorism jolt the minds of all the eminent and comm on people of the world with some gruesome questions that demand satisfactory answers. We have attempted to serve detailed, logical and matter-of-fact replies to these inquiries. Brief answers to these questions are appended here in sequence, while their details have been presented in the same order in subsequent chapters of this research work.

1. The first question in this connection that bothers all relates to use of force to spread beliefs: Is it lawful for a group or organization to use force to prom ote and put into effect their own creed and beliefs in the name of reforming others’ beliefs and ideologies, presuming themselves to be on the right path? Does Islam allow, somehow, the killing of people m aintaining ideological differences, looting their wealth and properties and destroying mosques, religious places and shrines?

• Islam is a religion of peace and safety that champions love and harm ony in

society. According to Islamic teachings, only such a person will be called a Muslim at whose hands the lives and properties of all the innocent Muslims and non-Muslims rem ain safe and unhurt. The sanctity of human life and its protection occupies fundamental place in the Islamic law. Taking anyone's life for nothing and killing him is an act forbidden and unlawful. Rather, in some cases, it am ounts to infidelity. These days, the terrorists, in a vain attempt to impose their own ideas and beliefs and eliminate their opponents from the surface of the earth, killing innocent people ruthlessly and indiscriminately everywhere in Mosques, Bazaars, governmental offices and other public places are in fact committing manifest infidelity. They are warned of humiliating torm ent in this world and in the hereafter. Terrorism, in its very essence, is an act that symbolizes infidelity and rejection of what Islam stands for. When the forbidden element of suicide is added to it, its severity and lethality becomes even graver. Sco res of Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions have proved that massacre of Muslims and terrorism is unlawful in Islam; rather, they are blasphemous acts. That has always been the edict unanim ously held by all the scholars that have passed in the 1400 year Islamic history, including all the eminent Imams of Tafseer and H adith and authorities on logic and jurisprudence. Islam has kept the door of negotiation and discussion open to convince by reasoning, instead of taking up arms to declare the others’ standpoint wrong, and enforce one’s own opinion. Only the victims of ignorance, jealousy and m alice go for m ilitancy. Islam declares them rebels. They will abide in H ell.

2. The second question in this regard is: what are the rights of the non-Muslim citizens in a Muslim state?

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• Islam not only guarantees the protection of life, honour and property of Muslim citizens of an Islamic state, but also assures the equal protection of life, honour and pro perty of non-Muslim citizens and of those people too with whom it has entered into a peace treaty. The rights of non-Muslim citizens enjoy the same sanctity as those of Muslim citizens in an Islamic state . There is no difference between them as human beings. That is why Islamic law metes out equal treatment to both Muslims and non-Muslims in blood money and Q isas. Non-Muslim s have complete personal and religious freedom in a Muslim society. Their properties and worship places also enjoy complete protection. Besides non-Muslim citizens, even the ambassadors of non-Muslim countries and others working on diplomatic assignments have also been guaranteed complete protection. Likewise, the protection of life and pro perty of non-Muslim traders is the responsibility of Islam ic state . Islam does not allow and recommend the use of violence against and killing of peaceful and non-combatant citizens under any circumstances. Those indulging in attacks on peaceful non-Muslim citizens, kidnapping them for ransom, and torturing them mentally and physically, keeping them under unlawful custody, are in fact com mitting serious violation of Islamic teachings.

3. The third question arises: does Islam offer manifest commands on the sanctity of

hum an life? Is it lawful to kidnap and assassinate the foreign delegates and innocent and peaceful non-Muslim citizens to avenge the non-Muslim global powers’ wrongs and atrocities?

• The em phasis Islam lays on the sanctity and dignity of human life can be gauged from the fact that Islam does not allow m assacre even when Muslim armies are engaged in the event of war against enemy troops. The killing of children, wom en, the old, patients, religious leaders and traders is strictly prohibited. Nor can those who surrender their arms, confine themselves to their homes and seek shelter of anyone be killed. The masses cannot be m assacred. Likewise, worship places, buildings, crops and even trees cannot be destroyed. O n the one hand, there is a clear set of Islamic laws based on extreme discretion, and on the other, there are people who invoke the name of Islam to justify the indiscriminate killing of people, children, and women everywhere, without any distinction of religion and identity. It is a pity that such barbaric people still refer their activities as Jihad. There can be no bigger discrepancy than that seen around on earth. This can no way be permissible to keep the foreign delegates under unlawful custody and murder them and other peaceful non-Muslim citizens in retaliation to their interference, unjust activities and aggressive advances. The one who does it has no relation to Islam and the H oly Prophet (blessings and pea ce be upon him) .

4. The fourth and very significant question underlines rebellion: Is armed struggle perm issible against the Muslim rulers to rem ove their governments because of their non-Islamic policies, or get accepted the demands, bring them on to the right path, giving up their im pious activities? Is rebellion permissible against the constitutional government, its writ and go vernance? What should be the legitimate way to change the rulers or m ake them mend their ways?

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• Islam is not m erely a religion. It is a com plete Din, a code of life . Providing a com plete set of principles for every walk of life, it has also made arrangements for the protection of the collectivity of society. The rights and duties of state institutions have manifestly and clearly been spelled out. All citizens of Muslim state have been placed under obligation to abide by state laws, rules and regulations. O ne of these principles is that a Muslim state and society should be a paragon of peace, and m utual coexistence. That is why Islam strictly prohibits the taking up of arms against a Muslim state , challenging its authority and writ, and declaring war against it. Islamic law holds such an action as rebellion. G od forbid if such conditions are created, then it is the principal responsibility of an Islamic state to take urgent measures to eliminate rebellion with iron hand and exterminate terrorism so that no individual or group can dare destroy the social harmony of society, ruin peace and shed innocent blood. Islam holds the peace and tranquility of a society, in general, and of a Muslim state , in particular, so dear that it does not allow people to raise the banner of revolt in the name of injustice , oppression and other vices of ruling elite . In the light of Prophetic traditions, the banner of rebellion against a Muslim state cannot be raised unless the rulers commit explicit, declared and absolute infidelity, and stop the perform ance of religious rituals like prayer through the use of force.

The conditions leading to forbiddance of rebellion in the light of the Q uranic verses, Prophetic traditions and expositions of the jurists are evident. Referring to H oly Companions, their successors, Im am Abu H anifa, Im am Malik, Im am Shafai, Imam Ahmad Bin H anbal and other leading jurists, the fact has been brought to light that absolute consensus exists among all the leading jurists on total forbiddance of rebellion against Muslim state, and there is no difference of opinion between any schools of thought. Such a rebellion as challenges the writ of the state , and has been launched without the collective approval and sanction of society, is but a civil war, blatant terrorism and an obvious act of strife . It can never be called Jihad under any circumstances.

As for struggle to reform some impious Muslim ruler or state , that is not at all prohibited or disallowed. The forbiddance of rebellion and armed struggle should not mean at all that an evil should not be called an evil and no effort be made to stop its spread, or the obligation of faith to bid good and forbid evil be abandoned. C ertification of truth and rejection of falsehood is binding upon Muslim s. Likewise, seeking to reform society and fight off evil forces is one of the religious obligations. The adoption of all constitutional, legal, political and dem ocratic ways to reform the rulers and the system of governance, and stop them from violation of hum an rights is not only lawful but also binding upon Muslim s. Making efforts at individual and collective levels to establish truth, end reign of terror and oppression and restoration of a system of justice forms the part of o bligations of faith.

5. The element of Khawarij is unforgettable in the history of terrorism. The

question arises: who were Khawarij? What does the Islamic law ordain about them ? Are the present day terrorists a continuation of Khawarij?

• The Khawa rij were the rebels and apostates of Islam. Their advent took place during the period of the Prophethood (blessings and peace be upo n him). Their

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intellectual growth and organized emergence took place in the Osmani and Alvi periods respectively. These Khawarij were so punctual and regular in perform ance of religious rituals and acts of worship that they would appear m ore pious than the holy C om panions would at times. However, in keeping with the manifest comm and of the H oly Prophet (blessings a nd peace be upon him), they were absolutely out of the fold of Islam . The Khawarij would not only regard the killing of Muslims as lawful, reject the Companions for their disagreement with them , raise the slogan 'there is no C ommand but Allah's', consider the launch of arm ed struggle and killing against Hazrat Ali (ra) as lawful, but would also keep on perpetrating these heinous actions. These Khawarij were in fact the first terrorist and rebellious group that challenged the writ of state and raised the banner of arm ed struggle against a Muslim state. The texts of H adith clearly establish that such elements would continue to be born in every age. By Khawarij is not meant merely a group which took up arms against the rightly guided C aliphs, but it encompasses all those groups and individuals bearing such attributes, ideologies and terrorist way of action who would continue to rear their head and perpetrate terrorism in the name of Jihad till the Day of Judgment. Despite being alm ost perfectionist in the perform ance of m anifest religious rituals, they would be considered as being out of the fold of Islam for their wrong and misplaced ideology. A Muslim state cannot be allowed to give them any concession in the name of dialogue or stop the m ilitary action without their com plete elimination in the light of instructions of the H oly Prophet (blessings and peace be upo n him) . The only exception when they can be spared is that they lay down their arms, repent of their actions and vow to honour the state laws and writ of the Muslim state.

6. What are the m easures that the government and the ruling classes should take to

put an end to mischief-mongering, terrorist activities and the armed strife?

• The government and the law enforcing agencies should, at the outset, rem ove those stimulants and all the factors that contribute to m ake the comm on man a victim of doubt. Due to these factors, the ringleaders and the chieftains of terrorism snare the sentimental youths very easily in their trap, change their track and lead them to m ilitancy. Ex ploiting their sentiments, they prepare them for terrorist activities. The policies, events and circumstances the terrorist e lements use as fuel for their evil agenda need to be remedied and set right on priority. That will certainly help eradicate the root causes of the spread of plague. Similarly, if the world powers as well as Pakistani agencies fail in attending to the real hardships of people , removing their complaints and abandoning the deceptive policies, the restoration of real peace will rem ain merely a dream .

7. Another im portant question under inquiry in various circles of society refers to a dilemm a: can we justify as lawful the atrocities of terrorism if they are done with the intention to promote Islam and secure the rights of the Muslims?

• The Kha warij, even today, invoke Islam and raise slogan to establish the Divine O rder, but all of their actions and steps constitute a clear violation of Islamic teachings. When their supporters do not have any legal argument to defend the actions of Khawarij, they draw the attention of people to the vices of the ruling

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elites and oppression of the imperialist forces as a justification for their killing. They feel contented that though the terrorists are doing wrong things, their intention is good beyond any doubt. This is a m ajor intellectual faux pas and people, both educated and uneducated, suffer from this doubt. An evil act rem ains evil in all its forms and contents. Whatever way we may interpret injustice , it is going to remain the same. Therefore, no forbidden action can ever become a virtuous and lawful deed due to goodness of intention. Law in Islam applies to an action. Massacre of humanity, perpetration of oppression and cruelty, terrorism , violence and bloodshed on earth and armed rebellion and strife cannot become pardonable actions due to any good intention or pious conviction. Nor is there any space for deviation from this fundamental principle . Thus, this argument of terrorists and their well-wishers is also false in the sight of Islamic law. Therefore, we commence our arguments with the clarification of the same dilemma that an evil doing cannot change into a pious deed due to any pious intention it supposedly generates from.

Good intention can never change a vice into virtue

If some good intention m otivates bloodshed and massacre, the question arises whether tyranny and barbarism can be declared lawful on this basis. Some people think that though suicide explosions are atrociously evil , killing of innocent people too is a monstrous crime, spreading mischief and strife in the country is again a heinous act, while destruction of educational, training, industrial, commercial and welfare centers and institutions is still a greater sin, the suicide bombers are doing that with good intention and pious m otive. Therefore, they are justified. They are retaliating foreign terrorism against Muslim s. They are doing a Jihad. So, they cannot be given any blam e. In this brief discussion, we shall analyze this thought in the light of the Q uran and Sunna. The Q uran rejected as disbelief the idol-worship that was perpetrated with the intention to attain to nearness of Allah. We find a detailed account of this matter in the Q uran and Sunna. Some of the holy verses are produced here to facilitate com prehension of the issue. The Q uran says:

“(Say to the people:) ‘Listen, sincere obedience and worship is only Allāh’s due. And those (disbelievers) who have taken (idols as) helpers other than Allāh (say in false justification of their idol-worship:) ‘We worship them only that they m ay bring us near to Allāh.’ Surely, Allāh will judge between them concerning the m atter in which they differ. Certainly Allāh does not give him guidance who is a liar, very ungrateful.” (Al-Q uran, 39-3)

When the idolaters of Makka were asked the reason of idol-worship, they said the idols would get them into Allah’s proximity. The intention to attain to Allah’s nearness is good, but idol-worship is blasphem y and disbelief. The idolatry, therefore, cannot be justified because of good intention.

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Similarly, the terrorists’ claim of reformation too cannot be accepted because, practically, they prove bloodshed and violence instead of some constructive work and reform ation. Allah Most High says:

“And among people there is also someone whose conversation seems to you pleasing in the life of the world and who calls Allāh to witness that which is in his heart, but in truth he is m ost quarrelsome. And when he turns away (from you), he runs about in the land to do (everything possible) to rouse mischief and destroy crops and life . And Allāh does not like mischief and violence. And when it is said to him (on account of this tyranny and violence): ‘Fear Allāh,’ his arrogance stimulates him for more sins. Hell is, therefore, sufficient for him . And that is indeed an evil abode.” (al-Q uran, 204-206)

These verses too describe that many people will make conversation appearing delightful in the perspective of superficial arguments. They will swear on their good intentions, and declare Allah witness to their noble objectives and pious aims. Despite their assertions and testimonial claims, however, Allah has declared them miscreants and evil-mongers to face the torment of Hell. So their swearing on their intentions has been refuted because they are doing sheer terrorism, violence and strife . Their crimes, therefore, cannot be forgiven due to their good intentions and noble designs declared on oath. This is the basic principle drawn from the Quran and Islamic Law. These Q uranic verses explain the same point:

“When it is said to them : ‘Do not spread disorder in the land,’ they say: ‘It is we who reform.’ Beware! (Truly) it is they who spread disorder, but they do not have any sense (of it) at all .” (al-Q uran, 11-12)

H ere again the mischievous and criminal mentality has been described that the miscreants never take their activities as disruption, violence and strife; rather, they call it Jihad and deeds of reconstruction and reformation. They presume that the tyrannous activities they perpetrate are aimed at greater good of society. To day’s tragedy is that terrorists, murderers, m ischief-mongers and rioters try to prove their criminal, rebellious, tyrannous, and brutal blasphem ous activities as a right and justified reaction to foreign aggression under the garb of defense of Islam and national interests. They should know that, as good intention can never prove an unlawful act justified, pious designs can never prove blasphemy as righteousness, and virtuous objectives can never prove an im pure act wholesome, the intention to perform Jihad, in the same way, can never pro ve violence and terrorism lawful and perm issible . The intention to protect Islam, erect defense against foreign aggression and avenge the wrongs and excesses inflicted upon Muslim Umma is one thing, and brutal mass murder of innocent citizens, vast destruction of civil property, ruthless target killings and destruction of m osques and markets and businesses is altogether a different debacle . The form er can never pro ve the latter lawful. The one has nothing to do with the other; there is no relevance and congruity between the two. Terrorism , carnage and mass destruction can never be justified in the name of any intention of enforcing Islam ic commands and judicial

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system. Nor can these condem nable activities be any exception to the rule , or be overlooked, or forgiven. The in-depth study of the Q uran and Hadith makes one dauntlessly declare that Islam makes it conditional to realize the lawful objectives only through lawful m eans, to attain to the noble targets only through permissible resources and reach the sacred destinations by treading only the righteous ways. A holy goal can never be attained by following an evil and criminal path. Constructing a mosque is a pious act, but it cannot be proved lawful to do it by looting a bank. The objectives of mercy cannot be achieved through cruel and oppressive ways. The designs of an exalted pious person cannot be materialized by adopting blasphemous methodology. In sum , good cannot be earned by evil means. Fair is fair and foul is foul. This is Satan who says, ‘fair is foul and fouls is fair.’ This is the m ajesty and purity of Din that it has purified and reformed both the destination and its path. It has m ade both objective and method pure and upright. The people who base their argument on the Hadith, ‘actions are judged according to intentions,’ in order to justify their brutal ways and cursed means, m ake false and heretic implications. They cannot set a wrong thing right. This Hadith signifies only those actions that are proved pious, permissible and lawful. Their acceptability has been based on trueness of intention. If the intention is pure, they will be accepted, or they will be rejected. If the intention is not good, or the co veted intention does not exist, the actions will not be considered acts of worship, despite their apparent righteous value. They will be rejected or discredited. But the actions that are forbidden, unjust, unlawful and blasphem ous cannot be m ade permissible , lawful, just and creditable by e ven extremely good intentions joined together. This is such an Islamic principle and legal form ula as no one of the C ompanions, pious predecessors, Im ams, and authorities of hadith and exegeses has departed from to date . Some scholars have also interpreted this hadith, ‘actions are judged according to intentions,’ as pointing to manifestation of deeds according to intentions. The actions take shape according to the intentions. So a terrorist’s actions speak of his intentions. His killings and destructive activities refer to his foul intention and condemnable ideas and beliefs. His heinous actions cannot stem from pious intentions and beliefs. The bloodshed he causes refers only to a cruel m an inside him and not any kind and m erciful soul. It is, therefore, evident that whatever false im plications and foul justifications these rebels, criminals, evil-mongers, tyrannous brutes may put forth to pro ve their atrocities as act of Jihad, they have nothing to do with the teachings of Islam. The Holy Q uran has vividly described them in this verse:

“It is those whose entire struggle is wasted in worldly life , but they presum e they are doing very good works.” (al-Q uran, 18: 104) Dr. Muham mad Tahir-ul-Q adri

Historical Launching of Fatwa Against Terrorism

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TV Coverage

-Terrerism-Against-Fat wa-of-Launchin g-/english/tid/9959/Historicalhttp://www.minhaj.org-bom ber s-suicide-deno un ces-and-terrorism-against-fat wa-launches-authority-I slamic-leading

laun ched.htm-Fat wa-terror-Anti-disbeliev ers-as Media Report

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, the founding leader a nd patron-in-chief

of M inhaj-ul-Q uran International, has is sued his detailed edic t (Fatwa ) a gainst terrorism

which cons is ts of more than 600 pages . The launching ceremony of the Fatwa was held

on M arch 2 , 2010 in London (UK). M inhaj-ul-Q uran International UK arranged a press

conference which was heavily attended by representatives of the international media

bes ides Labour party minis ter Shahid Malik, members of EU and UK parliaments Sajjad

Karim, M uhammad Sarwa r, James Finter, ambassadors of Iraq, Germany and othe r

countries, offic ials of the Home O ffice, C ommonwealth O ffice and Metropolitan P olice,

P rofessors and Mus lim and C hris tian community leaders.

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Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri presented the anti-terror Fatwa in U rdu

and English languages be fore the inte rnational media. I t should be kept in mind that

Shaykh-ul-Islam had dec lared to issue a detailed Fatwa agains t terro rism and suic ide

bombings in December 2009, which was originally thought to consis t of 300 pages ,

whose volume later on inc reased to 600 pages due to scholarly dealing of the subject.

This Fatwa is the only one of its kind in terms of its intellectual value, penetrating

research and authe ntic allus ions . Hence, it is a scholarly and his toric document.

Talking to the international media on the occas ion, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad

Tahir-ul-Qadri said that ever inc reas ing wave of extremism and terrorism has destroyed

the world peace. I t is a matter o f great mis fortune that these terroris t ac tivities of the

misguided elements have been bracketed with Islam though the reality is otherwise. He

said that majority o f the religious scholars condemn terrorism but the condemnation is

merely rhetorical. No one has come forward with an authe ntic and intellectual response

to terrorism in the form o f a patent dec ree. M inhaj-ul-Q uran International has told the

world in no uncertain terms through issuance of this Fatwa that terroris ts have nothing to

do with Islam. I t is a peaceful religion, which not only condemns but also prohibits every

kind of terro rism at every level under a ny p retext.

He said that the suicide bombers are out of the pale o f Is lam. He hoped that the youth

would not become the fodder for t he cannons o f terrorist elements or extremis t

organizations after studying t he Fatwa. The terroris t elements brainwash the youth by

invoking wrong inte rpretations of the faith. The youth who advance the objectives of the

terroris ts should regard t hemselves out

of the fold o f Is lam in accordance with

the teachings of t he Holy P rophet (saw).

He said that terrorism is terrorism and it

cannot be justified under a ny pretext

through allusion to any real or alleged

instances of injustice and the re is no

space for terrorism in Islam.

He regretted t he fact that the Is lamic

teachings, which are based on love,

peace and welfa re, are being ma nipulated a nd quoted out of contexts to serve the

des igns of the ves ted interes ts. He said that Is lam spelled out a c lear code of conduct

during the course o f war and gave complete protec tion to the non-combatants inc luding

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women, the old , a nd children etc ., so much so that tra ding centres, schools , hospitals

and wo rship places were also dec lared ared as safe.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that those who want to impose the

Is lamic order on others by means of force and naked powe r belong to the group o f

Khawarij who, during the Caliphate of Hazrat A li (ra), took up arms and initiated rebellion

against the Islamic state in the name of enfo rc ing the Divine O rder. The terroris ts of

today also belong to the same breed of Kha warij. They resemble one anothe r in their

appearances , body demeanors and even working. He said that Is lam does not approve of

the killing of innocent people under any excuse. There is a judicial system to indic t the

wrong-doers and bring them to book. I t is the respons ibility of the Is lamic s tate to

implement the sys tem of jus tice and punishment through s tate-run mechanism and none

can be allowed to take la w in his ha nds .

He vehemently condemned those who perpetrate terrorism in the name of religion and

branded them as the greates t enemies of Is lam. He said that if at all these people have

to wage Jihad, t hey could do so against ignora nce, corruption, dearness , poverty and

16

other social evils. He also blas ted the opponents of democracy and said that the Holy

P rophet (saw) is the champion of the democratic and consultative system. Shaykh-ul-

Is lam reminded the Is lamic governments of the fac t that it is their natio nal and religious

duty to eliminate terrorism and terroris t networks from their mids t. They should continue

the military ac tion till the complete elimination of these groups.

In reply to a ques tion, he said that the Islamic governments should allow democracy to

flourish and strengthen political sys tem and processes . I f the enemies of Is lam and

Khawarij are totally annihilated, the roots of te rrorism would s tand dismantled. He

deplored that the M uslim youth happened to be the firs t casualty of terrorism, for t hey

got trapped in the hands o f the terro ris t for t he sake of religion. The major adva ntage of

the Fatwa would be that the youth would be able to know the reality of their ac tions

whether they are choosing the path to hell o r heave n.

British cabinet minister, Shahid M alik, paid glowing tribute to Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr

M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri and said that he has always pro jec ted the real teachings of

Is lam. H is Fatwa would have long-term pos itive and revolutionary impac t on the M uslim

community living in UK and elsewhere a nd would t rans form mindsets . He assured his full

cooperation at the governmental level.

The media men asked Shaykh-ul-Is lam Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri a number

ques tions, which he a nswered satis factorily. The press conference continued well over

three hours . Shayk h-ul-Is lam also gave short intervie ws to di ffere nt media outlets on the

occasion.

17

Shaykh-ul-Islam speaks at the American Institut of Peace

Dated: 10 November 2010

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri delivered a special lecture on “Is lamic

C oncept of Jihad” at the US Institute of P eace on November 10, a prestigious think-tank.

The audience comprised senior scholars , doc tors, professors , engineers , policy makers

and opinion leaders etc . Shaykh-ul-Is lam who was on an important visit to the United

States was accompanied by Sahibzada Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Q adri.

Speaking on the subjec t dras tically misunderstood in the West, Shaykh-ul-Is lam Dr

M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri unflinchingly dec lared that t he Islamic concept of Jihad offers

guarantee for the establishment of global peace and a welfare-oriented commonwealth of

nations . It is unfort unate , he denounced, that t he so-called Jihadi groups misinterpret

this concept and use it for their nefa rious agenda. He said that these groups misinterpret

the verses that particularly deal with the concept of Jihad in the Holy Q uran in o rder to

suit their evil objec tives. C onsequently, the concept of Jihad gets confined to killing,

which is not the case in reality.

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H ighlighting various points about the Is lamic concept of Jihad, Shaykh-ul-Is lam said that

the real concept, as desc ribed in the Holy Q uran, does not ordain killing, fight and

bloodshed. He said that out of 35 verses that deal with Jihad, thirty one (31) verses

desc ribe it in various shades and meanings without having anything to do with battle and

killings . He stated categorically that he did not find even a single verse in the Holy Book

in which Jihad a nd killing has been used together. These are two di ffere nt words , which

the Holy Q uran has not put together at a ny place.

He said that the wo rd ‘Jihad’ has been used to mean ‘defensive war ’ in the Holy Q uran. It

is a s ituation when wa r is launched agai nst a nation and it takes up arms to de fend itself.

Jihad, he maintained, is not a n aggress ion. Rather it represents action for self-protection

according to the Q uranic concept.

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Referring to the holy life o f the P rophet o f Is lam (S.A.W), Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr

M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri said that the founder o f Is lam fought a gains t diffe rent forces

for t hirteen years, only defending himself and his people. He did not attack the enemy

forces on his own even in a s ingle battle . He always fought back the aggress ion imposed

on him by the enemy.

Shaykh-ul-Islam said that the five verses that mention ‘self-defence’ we re revealed to

the Holy Prophet (S .A .W) in the c ity of M akkah. Desc ribing various meanings of Jihad, he

said that the majo r Jihad is the one undertaken agains t one’s ill-commanding self i.e. it is

a process of self-reform that seeks to control base des ires through a process of spiritual

training. The second category of Jihad, he mentione d, is ‘I jtihad’ whe reby ‘M ujtahid’

interprets the Is lamic law in keeping wit h the contemporary demands . The third category

of Jihad is related to the soc ial aspec t, and it is Jihad by ac tion. Through this Jihad,

people endeavour to promote education and human wellbeing . I t is the sum total o f

peaceful struggle launched to bring a bout positive change in soc iety through elimination

of vices and injustice.

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The fourth meaning of jiha d, Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri explained, is to spend in the

way of A llah. He said that two kinds of Jihad have spec ifically been mentioned in the Holy

Q uran. O ne relates to struggle for one’s self-reform and against ill-commanding self and

the second is to spend on the people in the way of Allah. He said that according to the

Holy Q uran, if you spend on welfare and soc ial ac tivities, it is Jihad by one’s wealth.

Shaykh-ul-Islam said that the fifth meaning of Jihad concerns ‘defens ive strategy against

aggress ion’. He said that it is written in the United Nations Charter that whe n you are

under attack, you have every right to defend yourself. This is what the Holy Q uran calls

Jihad but it has its stric t connotation by way of de fens ive s trategy.

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“Permission (to fight against mischief, disruption and oppress ion) is granted to those

against whom (unjust) war is waged , because they we re oppressed and Allah is

doubtlessly All-Powerful to help them (the oppressed).” (al-Hajj, verse no.39)

“And fight in t he cause of Allah against those who fight agains t you. (Yes ,) but do not

exceed limits. Surely A llah does not like those who exceed limits .” (A l-Baqarah, verse no

190)

He said that problem with the most of the scholars is that they fail to notice it while

understanding of Jihad. They confuse the concept of Jihad wit h killing and lose s ight of its

wider meaning .

In the same context, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri emphas ized that no

individual or a group is allowed to declare Jihad on his own. The power of declaration o f

Jihad res ts with the s tate. He said that the Mus lims were ordained to initiate de fens ive

war afte r the passage of 20 years s ince the Holy P rophet (S.A .W) dec lared Islam as the

final religion . The verse no 190 of Sura Baqara says that the Muslims c linched a peace

deal for their protec tion.

Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri said that the Mus lims fought more than 60 battles and

there was not even a s ingle battle out of 60 wherein t hey preempted the enemy attack.

They were always forced to reac t in defence when wa rs we re imposed upon them leaving

them with no option but to s trike back. He said that the words such as “Jihad for the

sake of Allah” are also mis interpreted.

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Referring to Hadith of Sahih M us lim and Bokhari, he said that whe n the Mus lims are in a

s tate of war, Is lam has forbidden to kill women, children, patients , pries ts, religious

scholars , farmers, t raders and diplomats . This is an Islamic fundamental principle that

underlines war strategy. Is lam has accorded so much priority to human life and its

continuity that it has s tric tly disallowed the Mus lims from des troying crops, t rees and

waging a n all-out war agains t civilian population. He said that the re is complete

consensus of all major schools of thought on these principles .

Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri said that those who have wreaked havoc in the world

through bomb blas ts and suic ide bombings are not Muslims. They belong to the Khawarij

school of t hought. I t was the firs t group that attacked the fourth Caliph Hazrat Ali (RA ),

and founded t he tradition of killing and violence under the excuse of establishing the

Q uranic rule. He said that the re were more than one hundred Prophetic Traditions that

c learly denounce the Kha warij and declare them out of the pale o f Is lam. These people

have nothing to do with Is lam any way.

According to Sahih Bokhari and M uslim, Islam fought two wa rs against terrorism in the

first two centuries . He said that t he s igns of terroris ts and Kha wa rij according to these

Books of Tradition are t he following:

1. They would be youth .

2. They would be brainwashed .

3. They would have thick beards.

4. They would be extremis ts in their views .

5. They would emerge from Eas t.

6. They would be violent.

7. They would re fer to the Holy Q uran.

8. They would appa rently p rojec t themselves as protec tor of Is lam.

9. They would propagate good things but would be the utter evil o f creation.

10 . They would resort to killing and shedding blood wit h aba ndon.

11. They would continue to emerge with the passage of time till the Day of

Judgment.

Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri said that juris ts and religious scholars have desc ribed these

s igns of Kha warij in his tory. Their common s ign is that they would resort to killing people

indiscriminately by rais ing a banner o f revolt agains t the government of the day. They

would raise a s logan o f impos ing Islamic sys tem.

He said that there is another misunders tanding about terroris ts:

“So when t he sacred months have passed, then kill the idolaters (for the violation o f

peace treaty) whe rever you find t hem and capture t hem, imprison them and lie in wait

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for t hem at every place of ambush (to catch and besiege them). So, if they repent ,

establish P rayer and s tart paying Zakat (the Alms-due), then leave their way open.

Surely, A llah is Most Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.” (Al-Tawbah, verse no 5)

When the M uslims got permission about their self-defence, some Western scholars

wrongly tra nslated the verses dealing with Jihad as if the Mus lims equated Jihad with t he

killing of non-M us lims . He said that it was based on misunders tanding , while the fac t

remained that t here is no such thing i n Islam.

This sura was revealed during the ni nth year o f he gira when t he Mus lims were ordained

to adopt defens ive strategy. The firs t word of this verse is peace referring to Hudabiya

P ac t. None of the tribes was allowed to attack the other in the holy c ities of Madina and

Makkah.

Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri said that the shared commonality between the M uslims and

non-Mus lims is not war but humanity. The UN has formulated its charter according to the

Q uranic concept. A ll leading juris ts of Is lam have interpreted ‘Dar-ul-Is lam” as peaceful

country in which human beings and rights are respected without any discrimination of

race, colour and c reed. The entire world, he added , has become O ne World today a nd

none can be allowed to resort to killing others and perpetration of violence. He said that

this was his message agains t terrorism.

Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri said that M inhaj-ul-Q uran International is making practical

endeavours for the elimination of extremism and terro rism from the world. I t has

particularly focused its energies on the s tudents and youths. I t annually holds various

programs in which the youths are imparted lessons of their religion against terrorism and

extremism. Four-day A l-H idaya C amp is a case in point.

A fter the conc lusion of speech by Shaykh-ul-Islam, the audience asked various questions

which he answered befittingly and in detail . The ques tion-answer session continued fo r

about an hour. The management of the US Ins titute of Peace thanked Shaykh-ul-Is lam

for his lecture.

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Shaykh-ul-Islam speaks at Global Peace & Unity Event

Islam stands fo r peace, love and human dignity and the re is no room for te rrorism in Is lam. This was s ta ted by S haykh-ul-Islam D r. M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri, in a powerful speech to a ga thering o f thousands of B rit ish M uslims a t the Global Peace & Unity event on 24 Octobe r 2010.

D r Tahir- ul-Q adri sta rted his passiona te and powerful s peech by declaring that Islam stands for peace , love, compassion, human dignity and mercy . He said “Is lam does not stand for any kind of v iolence , militancy, te rrorism , and brutality .”

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He sa id “This is Islam which came at a time when the dignity o f mankind was lost, there was bruta lity , violence and people were c utting their necks. A t that time the re was racial, re ligious and tribal discrim ination and the re was no respect for slaves . At tha t time Islam stood up fo r the poor and oppressed people , o rphans , and women and gave respect and dignity to the mankind irrespective o f their race , religion and culture . T his is Islam whic h came for promotion o f global peace and m ercy and d ignity .”

He sa id “I want to communicate this message o f Islam to the whole mankind. People have m isled the youth by wrong perceptions and inte rpre tations o f Islam .”

“Jihad: Perception and reality”

S peaking about “Jihad: Perception and reality ”, D r M uhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri said that the perception that J ihad is a holy war is comple tely wrong and younger genera tion has been m isled on this count. It is due to various reasons. Jihad is seen as an act o f violenc e whic h is against the concept o f jihad.

D r M uhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri cla rified that “the l iteral m eaning o f jihad is exertion, s truggling, striving, and putting ex treme effo rts accord ing to extreme abilities, to counte r ev il, to achieve good fo r s ake o f A llah.”

He added that “T he defensive s truggle against your enemy, defensive struggle aga inst your lower-self, hatred, a rrogance, c orruption is one dimension of J ihad. And this is for the Sa fe ty o f the mank ind, not fo r kil ling o f m ankind."

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D r Q adri said “he wants to address the M uslim audience who are mis guided or m islead and to the wes te rn world that there is NO ve rse which advocates k il ling, bruta lity and te rrorism .”

“The re are two ways of dete rmining the meaning of a ve rse , either through its ac tual text o r context (a ve rse which comes be fore or a fte r). T here are in total 35 vers es in the H oly Q ur’an whic h mention the word ‘jihad’. There is no s ing le ve rse in the Holy Q ur’an which has both words i.e. jihad and ‘qitaal’ (fighting) in the text o f the same ve rse . The re a re only 4 ve rses which mention jihad (in the sense o f lawful de fens ive fighting) in the context o f q itaal; qitaal is mentioned in some verses either be fore or a fter, but not in the same ve rse . This means tha t jihad and q ital (fighting) have not been mentioned togethe r in the whole o f the Q uran from Al-Fatiha (first chapter) to A n-Nas (las t chapte r). T his means that Jihad does not necessari ly mean fighting”.

D r M uhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri said "L et m e make it very clea r and sound, le t me rem ove any ambiguity that no leade r or a group has any authority to declare Jihad. I f any leade r or a group does that, it is te rro rism and not jihad."

He also m ade it clea r that “it is solely the pre rogative o f a state authority to declare Jihad and only as a matter o f last resort when d iplomacy and all other e ffo rts to make peace have fai led.”

Dec laration against terrorism

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F inally he asked the audience to support a decla ration against terro rism and to raise the ir hands and stand up against the suicide bom bing and te rrorism . The whole c rowd stood up and agreed with Dr Tahir- ul-Q adri.

Media Coverage

1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/24/baroness-warsi-islamic-conference-ban 2. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/148053.html 3. http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=120050&Itemid=2 4. http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=210936 5. http://www.thenation.co.uk/P-19.html 6. http://thenews.com.pk/28-10-2010/National/12456.htm

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Sixth Annual ‘al-Hidayah 2010’

Anti Terror Summer Camp held in Britain

http://www.minhaj.o rg/english/tid/12283/S ixth-Annual- al-H idayah-2010-he ld- in-B ritain.htm

The ‘al- hidayah 2010’ which attracted a round 1500 young M uslim men and women from across the UK, E urope and North A merica, was held at the U niversity o f Warwick on 7th, 8 th and 9 th o f A ugust , 2010 with the a im to de-radica lise and s piritua lise the M uslim youth. The UK’s firs t Anti-Terror C amp, as described by the weste rn media , was organised by M inhaj- ul-Q uran International UK and eve ry participant paid £200 to pa rticipa te . I ncluded among the s pecial guests were academicians , po liticians , government o fficia ls and various media outlets as we ll as scholars from across the UK . S ome key participants included:

• A ndrew S tephenson MP, Vice-Cha irman o f the C onserva tive Party • D r Hisham A He llye r, Unive rsity o f W arwick • Prof R ichard Rowson, Kingston University • Nick Chatrath, U nive rsity of O xford • M ark Goldby , Head o f P revent for the Metropolitan Police

S haykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri, the keynote speake r of the event opened the camp with a press conference whic h was attended by mainstream UK and inte rnationa l media .

A t the opening press conference Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri s hed l ight on the aims and objectives o f the cam p and emphasised on the reasons why he believes it is necessary to tra in the youth to tackle extremist ideologies . He said that this 3-day initia tive is aim ed at awakening the M uslim youth to challenge the a rguments o f the extremist and to promote the need of co llec tive action fo r promotion of peace , interfaith dialogue , and harmony and addressing the m is understandings and c onfusions the concepts of jihad, khilafah and democ racy .

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A na lysing the emergence of terro rism, he said that c ance r o f te rrorism does not emerge from nowhere but it begins as an ‘ideolog ical infection’ which is a narrow inte rpretation and v ision of Islam . I t is m isinterpretation of the Q ur’an, H adith and classical authorities o f Islam . He said this process begins in mosques, schools , Universities, and through the internet by ex tremis t groups . They init ially sta rt pe rsuading their a rgument which leads towards brainwashing. He said that “terrorism is a cance r tha t begins from and an ideo logica l infection.”

He emphasised that it is vital to recognise that this phas e o f non- violent extrem ism eventually leads towards v io lence and terrorism . S ome people engaged in counter terro rism fai l to rec ognise non-v io lent extremism as dangerous but it is the foundation of home-grown radicalism.

In a passionate voice he said tha t te rro rism has ideolog ical, philosophical and po litica l roots and extremists m isinterpret concepts of Jihad, Khila fah, and dem ocracy . There a re s ome groups who conside r democ racy and participa tion in polit ics as d isbe lief and these incorrect c oncepts are used to explo it the vulne rable youth.

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A ddressing a vita l issue whic h is be ing prominent amongst the extremists is to take ove r Britain and western countries and to host a Muslim flag on 10 D owning Street; Dr Q adri re jected this notion and sa id it was nothing but non-sense and ignorance of Islam ic teachings . He sa id this k ind o f thinking s hows the menta l illness o f s uch ind ividua ls and they need m enta l treatment.

He clarified that B ritain and o the r weste rn countries were not ‘Dar al-Harb’ (Abode o f War) but ‘Dar a l-A man’ (A bode of P eace ) where people of eve ry re ligion and fa ith have equal rights and opportunities to practise the ir rel igions and even launch faith-based TV channe ls .. He added “All these Weste rn c ountries - B ritain, E urope , N orth America , whereve r you are l iving - since you a re enjoying all rights, a ll freedoms according to the constitution as other non-M uslim c ommunities are enjoying, the re is no difference. A nd I would have no hesitation in saying you a re enjoy ing the rights and freedoms much be tte r than in many o the r Muslim and A rab countries .”

He sa id that Islam had been hijacked by the radicals and tha t he wants to reclaim Islam back from them and promote peace , to lerance , ha rmony in the world. He initiated an intel lectua l, academic and spiritual war aga inst te rroris ts to reclaim Islam back .

D r Q adri als o cla rified tha t he or his o rganisa tion M inha j- ul-Q uran does not take any funding by any gove rnment in the world hence he does not say anything to please any government. He says the truth to p lease his Lord and the P rophet (peace be upon him ).

He sa id that the youth who attended the anti-te rror c amp a re being trained to rebut the arguments o f the ex tremists in the ir communities, colleges and at the unive rsities. It will prepare them inte llectually and sp iritually against the forces o f extremism.

He s tressed that fore ign polic ies of weste rn c ountries are used as too ls o f ignit ion to exploit the sentiments o f young people and radical preachers and groups explo it such s entiments and passions o f youth.

He sa id there are alte rna tive so lutions to violent ac tions . He said integration, partic ipating in political process and to express disagreement o f foreign policy in a peace ful, constitutional and democra tic manner in regarded as Islam ic. Integration is a s olution which Islam has provided and whic h should be used to practica lly p lay a vital and progressive role in the weste rn c ountries .

D r Q adri als o cla rified the concept o f Jihad, whic h has been hijacked by the extremis ts and he pointed out that out o f 35 Q ur’anic verses which mention the word jihad, 31 of them have nothing to do with fighting or war at all. He c larified that the othe r 4 ve rses only dea l with se lf-defence . He

31

a lso made it c lear tha t individuals o r groups have no authority to decla re jihad. It is solely the preroga tive o f a s ta te authority to decla re jihad and only as a las t resort when diplomacy and a ll o the r effo rts to m ake peace have fai led. The Khawarij-inspired jihadist ideo logy is s wiftly being d ismantled and it is proved that unde r no c ircumstances or pre text are they are allowed to decla re war.

A ddressing the c onfusion of identity crises whether a Muslim youth in Britain is Brit ish o r a M uslim, D r Q adri said tha t the re is no inte rl ink between ones fa ith and ones c it izens hip o r c ountry. “I f you can be a Pakistani and still a Muslim , how can you not be a M uslim if you a re a B rit ish na tional? ” he questioned. He sa id tha t Muslims should fully integra te into the s ocie ties where they are liv ing and positively contribute to the society. T hey faith does not s top them to contribute towards the country where they a re living.

D r Tahir- ul-Q adri said that fo llowing the publication o f Fa twa aga ins t Terrorism, it put a stop to its practice o f s tereotyping the Muslims and conveyed the Islam ic message of to le rance , ha rmony and inte rfaith dialogue to a wide range o f people and regions. T his step dealt a letha l blow to the extremists and encouraged the re fo rmers .

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TV Coverage of Alhidayah 2010

Shaykh-ul-I slam on CNN S haykh-ul-I slam on Sky N ew s

S haykh-ul-I slam on BBC New s A FP : UK M uslim youths in sum mer cam p against extrem ism

S haykh-ul-I slam on VOA New s CNN - I ssues facing M uslim Youth (Understanding I slam )

AFP: Hundreds of Muslims attend E nglish anti terror cam p

A FP : UK M uslim youths in sum mer cam p against extrem ism (German)

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VOA : A nti-T errorism S ummer Cam p Held In Brita in (U rdu)

TF 1: Anti-T errorism S um m er Cam p 2010 (F rench)

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Alhiday ah News Coverage

• UK: Anti-terror camp trains youth to counter extremism Dated: 25 August 2010

On 7 August, the UK's first Anti-Terror Camp was held in the county of Warwickshire, led by prominent Pakistani scholar Dr. Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri, with t he aim of protecting youth from radicalisation by presenting them with arguments that t hey can use to counter extremists.

• Grande-Bretagne: plus de 1.300 jeunes ont participé à un 'camp d' été antiterroriste' Dated: 09 August 2010 Plus de 1.300 jeunes musulmans britanniques et européens ont participé à une rencontre de trois jours à Coventry (centre de l'Angleterre), surnommée "camp d'été antiterroriste", destinée à leur fournir les arguments pour

combattre les thèses extrémistes.

•

• Anti-Terrorism Summer Camp Held In Britain Dated: 13 August 2010 What is being called the Western world's first anti-terror camp for young Muslims is being held in Britain, with thousands of people attending from across Europe and North America. 'Al-Hidayah 2010' - as it is called - is being staged by the Pakistani Muslim scholar Muhammed ul-Qadri, who is giving workshops and lectures on how to recognize and counter extremism.

• CNN: Muslim cleric holds 'anti-terror camps'

Dated: 11 August 2010 Coventry, England (CNN) -- Tired of Islamic terror camps grabbing headlines, a Pakistani Muslim cleric is fi ghting back by holding his own "anti-terror camp." Islamic cleric Shaykh Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri is the man behind "Al-Hidayah," an Islamic retreat at t he University of Warwick, in the UK. He preaches peace and love and tolerance -- but not for radical extremists.

•

• معسکربریطانی ضد ارھاب Dated: 12 August 2010

" ارھاب ضد معسکربریطانی المقبل الصیف وفتاة شاب الف 20 بمشارکۃ "القاعدة

•

• Hundreds of UK Muslims attend anti-terror camp Dated: 11 August 2010

COVENTRY: Prominent Islamic scholar Dr Muhammad Tahirul Qadri urged participants at an anti-terrorism summer camp to follow the Prophet (PBUH) and not Osama bin Laden. That s ummer camp, named al-Hidayah (The Guidance), which concluded on Monday, was led by the scholar and attracted hundreds of young British Muslims

this week. His message to the roughly 1,300 people attending the three-day event on a university campus in Coventry, central England, was clear – terrorism is anti-Islamic.

•

•

• Hundreds of Muslims attend anti-terror summer camp Dated: 11 August 2010

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COVENTRY, England — "Follow the Prophet Mohammed, don't follow bin Laden!" That was the message from an anti-terrorism summer camp led by a top scholar which attracted hundreds of young Muslims this week. Al-Hidayah (The Guidance) was led by Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, who earlier this year issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, against terrorism.

• •

• Express: Muslim cleric holds ‘anti-terror camps’ Dated: 11 August 2010

Coventry, England (CNN.COM) – Tired of Islamic terror camps grabbing headlines, a Pakistani Muslim cleric is fighting back by holding his ow n “anti-terror camp.” Islamic cleric Shaykh Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri is the man behind “Al-Hidayah,” an Islamic retreat at the University of Warwick, in the UK.

• CNN: Muslim cleric holds 'anti-terror camps'

Dated: 11 August 2010 CNN: Muslim cleric holds 'anti-terror camps'

• Sky News: Fighting Extremism: Anti-Terror Camp Opens

Dated: 07 August 2010 Muslims are taking part in t he UK's first anti-terrorism summer camp as part of a "spiritual war" against Al Qaeda recruiters. The three-day conference in Coventry is expected t o attract around 1,300 young Muslims for sessions teaching religious arguments against extremists. The event has been organised by the Pakistan-based Minhaj ul-Quran organisation whose leader, Dr Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, has launched a fatwa - or religi ous ruling - against terrorism.

• BBC News: Muslim summer camp preaches 'anti-terror' message

Dated: 08 August 2010 It's the summer camp with a difference. No whittling of sticks or food on the open fire. Warwick University this weekend is the venue for what is billed as the UK's first anti-terrorism camp and the BBC has been along to find out why so many Muslims turned up. Inside the lecture hall, you could hear a pin drop. Row upon row of earnest-looking young men and women were scribbling notes into a classily-bound journal handed out with t heir welcome pack.

• Hundreds of British Muslims attend anti-terror summer camp

Dated: 10 August 2010 On the agenda were lectures about issues faced by Muslims living in t he West such as terrorism, suicide bombing and integration as well as music and sports, plus prayers in the room which is usually the students' disco. But for many attendees, one highlight was the opening speech by Tahir-ul-Qadri, the Canadian-based founder of moderate Islamic NGO Minhaj-ul-Quran International, during which he spoke out against Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden.

• ISLAMIC CLERIC STARTS ANTI-TERROR CAMP

Dated: 12 August 2010 Islamic cleric, Shaykh Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, a Pakistani, is fighting back by holding an “anti-terror camp.” “Al-Hidayah,” an Islamic retreat at the University of Warwick, in the UK, is t he first of its kind, a three day camp designed to tackle Islamic extremism and terrorism.

• Young Muslims attend anti-terrorism summer camp

Dated: 10 August 2010 Over 1,000 young Muslims attended an anti-terrorism summer camp in Warwick this weekend. The three day event, organised by Muslim scholar Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri, includes workshops on counteri ng extremist views.

• Grande-Bretagne: plus de 1.300 jeunes ont participé à un

Dated: 09 August 2010

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Plus de 1.300 jeunes mus ulmans britanniques et européens ont participé à une rencontre de trois jours à Coventry (centre de l'Angleterre), surnommée "camp d'été antiterroriste", destinée à leur fournir les arguments pour combattre les t hèses extrémistes.

شدت پسندی مخالف کیمپ:برطانیہ •

Dated: 11 August 2010 ہ ن منہاج ادار نوعیت اپنی جو ہے کیا اہتمام کا کیمپ روزہ تین خالف کے دہشتگردی میں برطانیہ نے القرآس ہے۔ کیمپ پہال کا ن منہاج تنظیم ہے۔ امید کی شرکت کی نوجوانوں ہزار ایک تقریبا میں ا کے القرآہ کیا جاری فتوی جو خالف کے دہشتگردی میں مہینے کے مارچ میں لندن نے طاہرالقادری موالنا سربرا ہے۔ گیا کیا اہتمام کا کیمپ اس لیے کے تشہیر کی اسی تھا

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• معسكر إسالمي ببريطانیا يدق طبول Dated: 11 August 2010 ع من المسلمین الشبان صدور بتحصین أو والنار، بالحدید :واإلرھاب التطرف لتحارب رئیسیتان طریقتان ھناك في الوقو .مقدسة حرب في علیھم مضاد فكري ھجوم شن بعدھا ومن اإلرھابیین، ووساوس االنحراف شرك

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• في بريطانیا 'ضد اإلرھاب'تدير معسكرا 'منھاج القرآن'جماعة Dated: 07 August 2010 ن منھاج" جماعة تقیم الذي المعسكر فعالیات وتستمر ."اإلرھاب لمكافحة" بریطانیا في صیفي معسكر أول "القرآ، ثالثة كوفنتري بمدینة ووریك جامعة في سیقام منھاج"و .مسلم شاب ألف فیھ المشاركین عدد یتجاوز أن ویتوقع أیامي "الدینیة الدراسة" مؤلف القادري طاھر محمد الدكتور أسسھا دولیة منظمة "القرآن حجج دحض سبل تبحث الت .الجھادیین

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• توقعات بحضور المئات من مسلمي بريطانیا معسكرا ضد اإلرھاب Dated: 08 August 2010

، الشباب من ألف على یزید ما حضور یتوقع بریطانیا في معسكرا األسبوع، ھذا نھایة المسلمى ورائھ من المنظمون یھدف اإلرھاب، لمناقشة المعسكر سیقام .المتطرفین حجج دحض إلذي ة» اسم یحمل ال ك جامعة في أیام، ثالثة مدار على ویستمر ،«الھدای وسط في وارویث بأنھ ویوصف الیوم، إنجلترا لذي بریطانیا في نوعھ من األول الحد .اإلرھاب یستھدف الدینیة القرآن منھاج منظمة رئیس القادري، طاھر محمد الشیخ وقال التي والتعلیمیة، ا» :شاب 1300 جذب في وتأمل المعسكر، تستضیف الجیل إنقاذ واجبي من أن أشعر

د طرف، من الجدی ى بحاجة فنحن .الغرب في اإلرھابیین تجنید وموجة الت ن رجل القادري، الشیخ وكان .«اإلرھابیة والتوجھات المتطرفة، المیول ضد وروحیا وأكادیمیا عقلیا إعدادھم إل الدیلدعوة یمارس الذي البارز ذار) مارس في اإلعالم أنظار محط عاما، 30 منذ األدیان وحوار السالم إلى ا واالنتحاریین، اإلرھابیین تدین صفحة 600 من فتوى أصدر عندما الماضي، (آ .بالكفار وتصفھم

• «تحت التعذيب»بدء محاكمة الكندي خضر والقاضي يعتمد اعترافاته :غوانتانامو

Dated: 11 August 2010 ) غوانتانامو في حرب جریمة ارتكاب بتھمة محاكمة اول كوبا في األمیركیة العسكریة غوانتانامو قاعدة في بدأت - ب ف أ - لندن ،(كوبالرئیس عھد عبر امیركي جندي قتل بتھمة عشرة الخامسة سن في افغانستان في اوقف الذي خضر عمر الكندي لھا یخضع اوباما، باراك ا .علیھ یدویة قنبلة القاء

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• إرغام مجمع تجاري بريطاني على انتزاع مقعد شرقي من مراحیضه Dated: 10 August 2010

، غرب شمال مانشستر في الضخم التجاري روشدیل مجمع كان شرقي، مقعد إلغاء قرار أثار مراحیض في ركبھ إنكلتراذ رمضان، شھر بدء من یومین قبل أمس، بریطانیا في واسعة ضجة المجمع دارة رغبة على بناء تم كان المقعد تركیب ان إ إذي التجاري المجمع ن مانشستر منطقة في المقیمین المسلمین من كبیر عدد یؤمھ ال تجاه الحسنة البادرة بھذه رحبوا كانوا الذیع في متاجر یملكون مسلمین تجار وجود على عالوة عام، شكل في اإلسالمیة الجالیة من فیھ یعملون آخرین ومسلمین المجم .الشرقي المقعد على یحتجون ممن آسیویة أصول

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• ببريطانیا 'مخیم صیفى ضد اإلرھاب'شاب مسلم شاركوا فى 1300۔ Dated: 10 August 2010 ر شارك م ثالثة استمر لقاء فى وأوروبا بریطانیا من مسلم شاب 1300 من أكث وسط) كوفنترى فى أیا" اسم علیھ أطلق (إنجلترا ء لدحض لھم وبراھین حجج تقدیم ھدفھ "اإلرھاب ضد صیفى مخیم ة اآلرا .المتطرفة" لقاء فإن المنظمین وبحسب د یكون أن المفترض من "2010 الھدای على شھد بعدما االثنین مساء انتھى قت عمل وورش ومؤتمرات ومناظرات نقاشات الثالثة أیامھ مدى منھاج" منظمة نظمتھا عملیة فى وصلوا ."القرآن

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• ة جماعة إسالمیة تنظم معسكرا ببريطانیا ضد تنظیم القاعدDated: 11 August 2010 ، ثالثة فعالیاتھ تستمر اإلرھاب، لمكافحة بریطانیا فى صیفیا معسكرا إسالمیة دینیة جماعة تنظم ة ھیئة موقع أوضح .مسلم شاب ألف فیھ المشاركین عدد یتجاوز أن ویتوقع أیام البریطانیة اإلذاعBBC ن منھاج" تدعى دولیة منظمة أن ى المعسكر خالل من تسعى "القرآ ج إل ى للفتوى التروی ا الت ب ضد القادرى طاھر محمد الدكتور المنظمة مؤسس أصدرھ .الماضى مارس فى اإلرھا

• «ضد اإلرھاب»شباب مسلم في مخیم صیفي :بريطانیا

Dated: 11 August 2010 م ثالثة استمر لقاء في وأوروبا بریطانیا من مسلم شاب 1300 من أكثر شارك بریطانیا، وسط كوفنتري، في أیاء لدحض لھم وبراھین حجج تقدیم ھدفھ «اإلرھاب ضد صیفي مخیم» اسم علیھ أطلق ة اآلرا وبحسب .المتطرف أیامھ مدى على شھد بعدما أمس مساء انتھى قد یكون أن المفترض من ،«2010 الھدایة» لقاء فإن المنظمین،ت عمل وورش ومؤتمرات ومناظرات نقاشات الثالثة قرآن منھاج» منظمة نظمتھا عملیة في وصلوا .«ال

«مخیم ضد اإلرھاب»شاب مسلم في 1300 :بريطانیا •Dated: 11 August 2010

ر شارك م ثالثة استمر لقاء في وأوروبا بریطانیا من مسلم شاب 1300 من أكث وسط) كوفنتري في أیاب ضد صیفي مخیم» اسم علیھ اطلق (انكلترا ء لدحض لھم وبراھین حجج تقدیم ھدفھ «االرھا .المتطرفة اآلراى شھد بعدما االثنین انتھى قد یكون أن المفترض من «2010 الھدایة» لقاء فإن المنظمین وبحسب مدى عل «القرآن منھاج» منظمة نظمتھا عملیة في وصلوات عمل وورش ومؤتمرات ومناظرات نقاشات الثالثة أیامھي أصدر باكستاني أصل من دین رجل وھو القادري، طاھر محمد ید على 1991 في باكستان في تأسست التء االرھابیین وتعتبر االرھابیة الھجمات تحرم دینیة فتوى مارس في .اهللا اعدا

تقیم معسكرا ضد اإلرھاب في بريطانیا (منھاج القرآن) •

Dated: 08 August 2010 ن منھاج" جماعة تقیم ب لمكافحة بریطانیا في صیفي معسكر أول "القرآ لذي المعسكر فعالیات وتستمر اإلرھا جامعة في سیقام ا دولیة منظمة ھي القرآن، منھاج وجماعة.مسلم شاب 1000 فیھ المشاركین عدد یتجاوز أن ویتوقع أیام 3 كوفنتري، بمدینة ووریكة مؤلف القادري طاھر محمد الدكتور أسسھا لدراس .الجھادیین حجج دحض سبل تبحث التي الدینیة ا

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• Muslims attend anti-terror camp in UK Dated: 10 August 2010 Hundreds of young British Muslims have taken part i n a summer camp led by a scholar which promotes t he message that terrorism is anti-Islamic. The three-day gatheri ng on a university campus in Coventry, central England, was led by Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, who earlier this year issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, against terrorism.

• En camp d'été contre le terrorisme islamique

Dated: 10 August 2010 Pendant trois jours, près de 1300 jeunes musulmans, hommes et

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femmes, venus d'Angleterre, mais aussi des États-Unis et du Canada, se sont rassemblés près de Birmingham, dans les locaux de l'université de Warwick, pour trouver des solutions à la montée de l'extrémisme, notamment dans les écoles et les universités. «Al-Hidayah 2010», sorte de «camp d'été antiterroriste», comme le décrivent les médias britanniques, proposait conférences, débats et activités multiples autour d' un thème central : comment faire face aux arguments des islamistes radicaux ?

• Grande-Bretagne Camp d’été antiterroriste

Dated: 10 August 2010 Plus de 1300 jeunes musulmans européens ont participé à une rencontre de trois jours à Coventry (centre de l’Angleterre), surnommée « camp d’été antiterroriste » et destinée à leur fournir les arguments pour combattre les thèses extrémistes. Débats, animations, conférences, ateliers et prières étaient organisés par l’association Minjah ul-Quran, fondée au Pakistan en 1981 par Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, éminent érudit musulman qui a

condamné en mars, dans une fatwa, les terroristes, les jugeant ennemis de l’islam.

• Un camp d’été antiterroriste

Dated: 10 August 2010 C’est le genre de nouvelles qu’on aimerait lire plus souvent. Un sommet musulman antiterroriste s’est terminé hier à Coventry après trois jours de débats et d’activités. Il avait été i nitié par Tahir ul-Qadri, un ouléma d’origine pakistanaise vivant au Canada. Qadri a fait parler de lui pl us tôt cette année en émettant une fatwa contre l e terrorisme.

• Grande-Bretagne: plus de 1.300 jeunes ont participé à un

Dated: 10 August 2010 COVENTRY (Royaume-Uni) — Plus de 1.300 jeunes musulmans britanniques et européens ont participé à une rencontre de trois jours à Coventry (centre de l'Angleterre), surnommée "camp d'été antiterroriste", destinée à leur fournir les arguments pour combattre les t hèses extrémistes. La rencontre "al-Hidayah 2010", qui signifie "conseils" ou "ligne de conduite", devait s'achever lundi soir après trois jours de débats, animations, conférences, ateliers et prières organisés par l'association Minjah ul-Quran.

• 1300 unge m uslimer samlet i kamp mot terrorisme

Dated: 10 August 2010 Vi prøver å lære opp de unge, slik at de skal greie å slå tilbake argumentene fra de radikale. Vi vil gi dem kunnskap til å motsi ekstremistene og bekjempe i deologien deres, sier Shahid Mursaleen til britiske The Guardian. Han er talsperson for bevegelsen Minhaj-ul-Quran – en sufi-muslimsk bevegelse som har satt seg som hovedmål å bekjempe islamistisk terrorisme og ekstremisme.

• Mehr als 1300 junge Muslime bei Anti-Terror-Sommercamp in England Dated: 10 August 2010 Mehr als 1300 junge Muslime aus Europa haben an einem sogenannten Anti-Terror-Sommercamp in Großbritannien teilgenommen. Bei der dreitägigen Veranstaltung im zentralenglischen Coventry, die am Montagabend zu Ende gehen sollte, lernten sie i n Vorträgen, Workshops und Debatten, wie sie Aufrufen zum Terrorismus von Extremisten entgegentreten können.

• Großbritannien: 1.300 Muslime wurden im Antiterror-Sommercamp geschult

Dated: 10 August 2010 In Coventry (Großbritannien) fand ein dreitägiges Antiterror-Sommercamp statt, an dem über 1.300 junge Muslime aus europäischen Staaten teilnahmen. Die Muslime wurden in Vorträgen, Workshops und Debatten darüber unterrichtet, wie sie gegen Aufrufe zum Terrorismus von Extremisten vorgehen können.

• England: Über 1000 junge Muslime in Anti-Terror-Camp

Dated: 10 August 2010 In Coventry haben mehr als 1300 europäische Muslime an einem "Anti-Terror -Sommercamp" teilgenommen. Dabei sollten sie lernen, wie sie Aufrufen zum Terrorismus von Extremisten entgegentreten können. Mehr als 1300 junge europäische Muslime haben an einem sogenannten Anti-Terror-Sommercamp in Großbritannien teilgenommen. Die

dreitägige Veranstaltung im zentralenglischen Coventry ging am Montagabend zu Ende.

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• Primer campamento de verano contra el terrorismo organizado por musulmanes

Dated: 07 August 2010 Londres, 7 ago (EFE).- El primer campamento de verano contra el terrorismo organizado por musulmanes en el Reino Unido comenzó hoy sus actividades en Coventry (centro de Inglaterra). Se espera que el evento, que durará tres días, atrai ga a unos 1.300 jóvenes musulmanes, que escucharán argumentos religiosos contra el extremismo político.

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• Camp aims to empower wit h anit-terror message Dated: 09 August 2010

MUHAMMAD TAHIR-UL-QADRI: ...clear according t o Qur'an and Sunna, these kind of people having this terroristic or militant agent that has no li nk with Islamic teachings...

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• Guardian: Muslim group holds 'anti-terrorism' summer camp Dated: 08 August 2010 Devotees of Muslim scholar Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri have gat hered at the University of Warwick's campus to be taught practical ways of countering extremist views in their schools, universities and communities. They have been learning how to engage with people expressing extremist views and are being directed to passages i n

the Qur'an and ot her Islamic texts to allow them to argue against them.

• Arab News: UK Muslim youths in summer camp against extremism Dated: 08 August 2010

LONDON: Britain's first "anti-terror" summer camp opened Saturday, with the goal of teaching Muslim youth how to rebuff extremists who try to recruit them at schools and in onli ne chat rooms.

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• Anti-Terrorism Camp to be Set-up in Britain by a Pakistani Organization Dated: 08 August 2010 The head of the organization Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said I feel it1s my duty to save the younger generation from radicalization and wave of terroristic recruitment i n the West . We need to prepare them mentally and academically, intellectually and spiritually, against extremist tendencies and terrorist attitudes . Qadri is a Pakistan based religious scholar who has been promoting peace and inter-faith dialogue for 30 years. He also issued a 600 page fatwa denouncing terrorists and suicide bombers to be unbelievers. He has written around 400 books and is a scholar of Sufism.

• BBC: Muslim group Minhaj ul-Quran runs 'anti-t errorism' camp

Dated: 06 August 2010 The t hree-day event i n Coventry is expected to see more than 1,000 young Muslims at sessions teaching religious arguments to use against extremists. The event has been organised by the Minhaj ul-Quran to promote a fatwa, or religious ruling, against terrorism by its leader Dr Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri.

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• Reuters UK: Hundreds expected at UK Muslim anti-t errorism camp Dated: 06 August 2010

(Reuters) - Over a t housand young Muslims are due to attend a camp in Britain to discuss terrorism this weekend, but rather than encouraging militancy the organisers' mission is to destroy the arguments of extremists. The three-day "al-Hidayah" camp, which gets underway at the University of Warwick in central England on Saturday, is billed as the first event of its kind in Britain specifically aimed at targeting

terrorism.

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• DAWAN: Hundreds expected at UK Muslim anti-t errorism camp

Dated: 06 August 2010 LONDON: Over a t housand young Muslims are due to attend a camp in Britain to discuss terrorism this weekend, but rather t han encouraging militancy the organizers mission is to destroy the arguments of extremists.

• UK hosts anti-terror camp for Muslim youths Dated: 07 August 2010

LONDON The first major Muslim event designed specifically t o tackle Islamist extremism and terrorism will take place in the UK this weekend. Kicking off on Saturday, al-Hidayah 2010 is a three-day event taking place at the University of Warwick i n the English Midlands.

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• IB Times UK: Moderate Muslim declares 'int ellectual and spiritual war' against extremism ahead of first 'anti-terror' camp Dated: 06 August 2010 Moderate Muslim declares "intellectual and spiritual war" against extremism ahead of first "anti-terror" camp

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• Men Media: Over 1,000 expected at anti-terror camp Dated: 06 August 2010 Over a 1,000 youngsters are expected to attend the UK's first ever anti-extremism camp. The event is being organised by Minhaj-ul-Quran UK, whose founder member Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri made headlines earlier this year when he also issued a 600-page fatwa against terrorism.

'Muslim Camp' draws teens to combat extremism Preacher a voice for m odera on

(Luke Baker; Jon Boyle: Reute rs)

http://www.minhaj.org/ english/tid/8765 Dated: 10 August 2009

This ar cl e is taken from h p://uk. r eut ers .com/a r cl e/idUKTR E5792AL 20 090810? sp=t rue

COVENTRY, England (Reuters) - Li ke any

rousing Islamic preacher, Muhammed

Tahir ul-Qadri's voice rises to a shout and his index finger jabs as he

hammers home a point.

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But rather than angry calls for jihad (holy war) or a vitriolic denuncia on of the We s t and its

aggressions against Islam, Qadri's message, equally force fully delivered, is about

modera on, peace, incl usi on and under standi ng.

Addressing a packed auditorium from a raised pla or m, hi s wo r ds beame d on to lar ge

screen behi nd him, more than 1,000 young followers hang on his every word, even as his

lecture moves into its fourth uninterrupted hour.

"Islam is not a reli gion of seclusion, it is not a religion of detachment," he thunders from the dais, occasionally pausing to wipe the sweat from his brow or adjust his spectacles.

"Any killer o f a non-Muslim ci zen, he wi ll go to hel l. Thos e wh o are commi ng t errori s c

acts from Pakistan and Afghanistan and claiming it is jihad -- the y do not know what jihad is.

It is forbidden. There will not be janna (paradise) for them," he hollers, to shouts o f approval

from his listeners.

Qadri, 58, who was born in Pakistan but now lives in Canada, is a renowned scholar o f

Sufism, a long tradi on wit hi n I slam t hat focus es on s pi r itual i ty, emph asi zing peace a nd

modera on.

The author of more than 400 books on Islamic scholarship and law, Qadri travels the world

delivering sermons to Sufis, wh i le hi s or gani za on, cal l ed Min haj ul- Qur a n, has spread t o 80 countries, from Greece to Fiji, since its founding in 1981.

In Britain, he is the main draw at a three-day retreat for young Muslims called "Al Hida yah"

(Guidance), which ove r the past five years has grown into the bi gges t spi ritual camp of its

kind, with more than 1,200 a endees from a doz en count ri es .

Qadri believes camps like his, which a rac t teenager s -- gi rl s and boys we ar i ng trad i onal dress who sit separately in the auditorium -- as well as their parents and children as young as

six, can play a part in comba ng ex tremi sm wi thi n Isl am.

For Britain, that has been par cul ar ly imp or tant si nce 2003, wh en the count ry joi ned the

invasion of Iraq, and 2005, when four young Bri sh Mu sl ims car ri ed out sui ci de bomb i ngs on

the London t ransport network, killing 52 people.

"I feel it is my duty to save the younge r genera on from radi cal iza on, " Qadr i sai d qui etl y

over lunch on Sunday, shortly a er finis hi ng the s econd of seve ral lect ures and ques on-

and-answer sessions, which concluded on Monda y.

"We need to prepare them mentally and academically, intellectually and spiritually, a gainst

extremist tendencies and radical and terrorist a tudes . We need t o provi de t hem w it h an awakening of the true picture of Islam," he said.

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TACKLING EXTREMISM

Around the world, and par cul ar l y in the Un i ted Stat es , ther e has been a steady inc reas e in adherence to Sufism in the pas t decade. Gover nme nt s keen to tackl e the spr ead of mo r e

radical branches of Islam in their countries have worked with Sufi schol ar s and tr ied to

emphasize their teachings.

In Britain, home to around 1.7 million Muslims, the bulk from Pakistan, the government at

first wor ked to pr omo te Sufism, suppor ng t he c r ea on in 2006 of the Sufi Muslim Coun ci l , a group that took a strong stand against Islamist e xtremism.

But since then, it has moved away from e xplicit support, saying that working via the Sufi

community -- whose e xact number in Britain is not known -- is just one element of a wider

approach to countering Islamic radicalism.

"It's part of a broader engagement. We don't want to isolate any one group over another, " a gove rnment spokeswoman said.

Supporters o f Qadri, though, are adamant about the benefits of hi s teachi ngs, wi th student s

coming from as far as Denmark and Canada to hear him speak during the three-day retreat.

Women in par cul ar like hi s emp has i s on fema l e equal ity wi thi n Isl am, an el eme nt not

always touched on by other Islamic scholars.

"What he says is mind-opening, it makes you feel good as a woman," said Sofia Saeed, 27, a

legal assistant who traveled from Manchester to a end the ret reat wi th a fri end.

"There's no discrimina on here. It ma kes you feel like a st rong er bel iever , a strong er

person," she said, comfortabl y mi xing designer sunglasses with her full hijab head coveri ng.

Qadri, a former minister in Pakistan and close associate of Bena zir Bhu o, the as sas si nated former prime minister, does not believe his teachings can change radical minds overni ght,

but he is a believer that intellect can ul ma tel y def eat ex t remi sm.

"If the terrorists are 10 people and the peace ful are 1,000, then they are more powerful than

us with their arms, even i f we are 5,000," he said. "But the point is that we have to make the

5,000 more powerful not with arms, but by the communica on of the ri ght me s sage of Islam."

Ideas are the best weapons: Shaykh-ul-Is lam Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

http://www.minhaj.org/ english/tid/8774 Dated: 12 August 2009

43

Thi s ar cl e is taken from h p: //www. t hest ar. com/n ews / wor l d/ar cle/679769

Muhammed Tahi r ul-Qadri l aunches 'intellectual war' on terrorism with serm ons on peace and tolerance

Muhammed Tahir ul-Qadri is on the phone, talking about war, but he is not re ferring to

guns.

"I don 't know how to use a pistol,"

admits the Pakistani-born Islamic scholar, who is in Birmingham,

England, at the moment, though he

spends roughly 10 months a year in

Canada, his adopted home for the past

several years. "I f you put a pistol in my hand, I wouldn't know how to use it. "

The 58 -year-old spiritual leader does

know how to use words and ideas,

however, a nd he is recrui ng them bot h in the cause of peace.

"I have, you can say, announced an intellectual and spiritual war against ext remism and terrorism. I believe this is the me to stand up for mo der ate Isl ami c schol ar s wh o bel ieve in

peace."

Forget for now the lurid images of hatred and bloodshed that ha ve dominated Western

percep ons of Isl am in recent year s, and lend an ear to thi s vol ub l e, bes pec t ac l ed Canadi an

grandfather, who is at the forefront o f what some might call a renaissance of moderate Islam, preaching a doctrine of incl usion and tolerance.

"He is defini tel y a schol ar wh o shou l d be hi ghl ight ed, " says As ad Dean, a Mu s l im commu ni ty

organizer in Toronto. "He has a fantas c rel a onshi p wit h all the commu n i es."

In their struggle for the hearts and minds of the world's 1.4 billion Muslims, Qadri and other

like-minded clerics are squaring off agai ns t rut hl es s or gani za ons , such a s the T al i ban and Al Qaeda, which present a very differ ent facet of Isl am, one that cel ebr ates vi ol ence whi le

rejec ng any pr os pec t of accommo da on wit h the Wes t .

The wel fare, livelihood and dreams of tens of millions of people around the globe depend on

which side triumphs in this ba l e of wo r ds and ideas , a ba l e t hat i s als o a cont est of

military might – in Afghanistan, Pa kistan and Iraq. Qadri is far from alone in this fight .

Partly in response to U.S. President Barack Obama's recent opening to the Muslim world,

moderate Islamic clerics in many lands have been emboldened to spea k out against those

who traffic i n t he wea pons of hat e.

"Ideas are the best arms," Qadri says. "Socie es shou l d be ar me d wi th be er ideas. "To me, the ideal society in the world is Cana dian society, " he says. "We believe in the le er

and spirit of mul cul tur al ism. "

Qadri has no pa ence wi th vi ol ent extremi sts wh o cl ai m to repr es ent hi s fai th.

44

Lately, it is Osama bin Laden and his ilks who have trans fixed the a en on of t he West , but

Qadri re gards them excep ons – trai tor s to Isl am – wh o have achi eved an influence out of

propor on to thei r numb er s.

In large measure, he holds the news media responsible for presen ng a di storted pi ctur e of

Islam, one that depicts its adherents as fist -wa v i ng advocates of hat e.

"Millions and millions of Muslim people – more than a billion – are living a peaceful life," he

says, "but their li fe does not create news." Violence, o f course, does create news, as do t yranny and intolerance.

"They make women stay in their homes," he says of Muslim extremists. "They destroy girls'

schools. This is a gainst Islam, totally wrong. This has created a very bad image."

Qadri, who has served for a me as a me mb er of Paki stan' s Na onal Ass embl y, has spent

years promo ng int er f ai th di al ogue, lar gel y thr oug h Mi nhaj -ul -Quran Int erna onal , a non- gove rnmental organiza on he founded in 1980 and s l l heads .

Qadri, who will return to Canada early ne xt month, lives near Hamilton, where he devotes

himself to wri ng about Isl am. He says he is deter mi ned to change the nega ve i mag es now

associated with his faith, while also stopping radical Islam in its tracks.

It's a tall order but an urgent one.

"We want a secure future for everybody," he says. "I speak of the human race."

More Links

1. Google News, UK

'Id eas are the b est' weapons

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

Kamp Musl im Inggris Melawan Ekstr imis

2. Yahoo News

"Muslim Camp" d raws teens to combat extremism

3. euronews

“Muslim Camp” draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

4. Stv

"Muslim Camp" d raws UK teens to combat ext remism

5. Global Tv . Com

‘Mus lim Camp ' draws U .K. teens to combat ext remism

6. The Star phoen ix

‘Mus lim Camp ' draws U .K. teens to combat ext remism

7. Toronto Star

'Id eas are the b est' weapons : Islamic scholar

8. Canada.com

Messenger of modera on

Sufischol ar seeks to save young Mu s l ims from radi cal iza on

45

9. The Brunei Times

UK Muslim camp p reaches p eace

10. Na ona l Post

Messenger of modera on

11. Na ona l Post

Preacher a vo ic e f or modera on

12. The Gaze e

‘Mus lim Camp ' draws U .K. teens to combat ext remism

13. The Vancouver Sun

‘Mus lim Camp ' draws U .K. teens to combat ext remism

14. The Malaysia Insider

‘Mus lim Camp ’ draws UK teens to combat ext remism

15. Islam Online.net

UK Sufi Camp Comb a ts Ext remi sm

16. Republika Online

Kamp Musl im Inggris Melawan Ekstr imis

17. Reuters Italia

Gran Bretagna, "c ampo islamico" contro est remismo s educe gio vani

18. Reuters India

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

19. Birmingham Post

Islamic au tho r denounces terro rism as a c an cer in Muslim world

20. Islam Online

UK Sufi Camp Comb a ts Ext remi sm

21. Na ona l Post

Preacher a vo ic e f or modera on

22. Point de Bascule Canada

GRANDE BRETAGNE - UN IMAM SOUFISTE CANADIEN PRÊCHE UN AUTRE ISLAM À DES MUSULMANS

BRITANNIQUES. IL ENSEIGNE L'INCLUSION, LA "SP IRITUAL ITÉ", LA PAIX ET LA MODÉRATION...

23. The Province

‘Mus lim Camp ' draws U .K. teens to combat ext remism

24. Euro News

“Muslim Camp” draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

25. The Windsor Star

‘Mus lim Camp ' draws U .K. teens to combat ext remism

26. IB Times

"Muslim Camp" d raws UK teens to combat ext remism

27. Javno

`Muslim Camp` Draws UK Teens To Combat Extremism

28. Auss ie Muslims

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

46

29. The Re vival

"Muslim Camp" d raws UK teens to combat ext remism!

30. NEWS Tin

"Muslim Camp" d raws teens to combat extremism

31. Yanabi . Com

"Muslim Camp" d raws teens to combat extremism...

32. Digg

‘Mus lim Camp ’ draws teens to combat ext remism

33. Nice r News

‘Mus lim Camp ’ draws teens to combat ext remism

34. Topix

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

35. Canada

‘Mus lim Camp ' draws U .K. teens to combat ext remism

36. Leader Pos t

‘Mus lim Camp ' draws U .K. teens to combat ext remism

37. Best News

"Muslim Camp" d raws UK teens to combat ext remism

38. World Pe ace

'Musl im Camp' draws teens to combat extremism

39. ABC News

"Muslim Camp" D raws Teens to Combat Extremism

40. Euro Is lam . Info

‘Mus lim Camp ’ draws UK teens to combat ext remism

41. Hizb ut-Tahrir

"Muslim Camp" d raws UK teens to combat ext remism

42. World News

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

43. Toronto Star

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

44. The Free L ibrary online

"Muslim Camp" d raws teens to combat extremism

45. Daily Times

‘Mus lim Camp ’ draws UK teens to combat ext remism

46. Reuters UK

"Muslim Camp" d raws UK teens to combat ext remism

47. Reuters

"Muslim Camp" d raws teens to combat extremism

48. Canada

‘Mus lim Camp ' draws U .K. teens to combat ext remism

47

49. The PEW Forum | Religion News

'Id eas are the b est' weapons : Islamic scholar

50. The Sias at

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

51. Bay Ledger News Zone

"Muslim Camp" d raws teens to combat extremism

52. Maryam-b log Blogs po t

‘MUSL IM CAMP ’ D RAWS UK TEENS TO COMBAT EX TREMISM

53. Talk Is lam

“Muslim Camp” draws teens to combat ex tremism.

54. Times of Malta

Without a acks, Qa eda ' s roa r s ri ng hol low

55. In Sing

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

56. msnbc

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

57. Islam is all about Pe ace

Id eas are the b est' weapons: Islamic scholar

58. Sharia Watch UK

'Musl im Camp' draws UK teens to combat ex tremism

59. Mus lims in England

Al-Hid ayah 2009

48

49

Parliamentary seminar explorer’s so lutions for extremism Dated: 12 January 2010

LO NDON. In wake o f news reports that extremist groups

a re influencing B ritis h students, the timing fo r the

seminar on the topic of ‘P ove rty , Radica lism and

R elig ion’ could not be more pertinent. A London based

organisation M inhaj- ul-Q uran UK he ld a seminar at the

Houses o f Pa rliament to explore the root causes of

extremism and radic alism in Britain and find methods o f

tackling the issue .

MQI UK spokesman and event organiser Shahid

M ursa leen sa id that “We support the ban on the extremist groups but suggested to ban extremist

individuals too as they wil l appear again with a diffe rent nam e. We have organised this seminar to

present solutions to the Gove rnment fo r addressing the c urrent issue o f youth radica lisa tion at

B ritis h Unive rsit ies, which has for long been ignored.”

The keynote speake r Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Q adri, a PhD fellow from V icto ria University, A ustralia

and member of fede ral counc il o f M inha j- ul-Q uran I nternationa l sta ted that "We support the ban on

the extremis t groups but this is not the fina l solution to this problem . We m ust stop the ideo logy

based on slogans of K hila fa which these extremists a re

promoting amongst the B ritis h youth."

M r Hussain added that a fter the dem ise o f P rophet

M uhammad (peace be upon them ) the C aliphs were

e ithe r elected by the citizens or appo inted by an elected

committee. W e can see both these s ystems today

name ly a presidential fo rm o f government o r a

parl iamenta ry fo rm o f gove rnment.

A t the s eminar D r R aheeq A bbasi, S ecretary General of M inhaj- ul-Q uran Inte rna tional highlighted

various e ffo rts o f M inha j- ul-Q uran against ex tremism and te rrorism. Dr Waqar A zmi, C hairman

Wate rhouse C onsulting G roup s aid that “The Government needs to work with moderate groups and

it is required to c hange ideo logica lly .”

Naveed S he ikh o f Keel University shed light on the linkages between poverty , radica lism and

re ligion and highlighted d ifferent views on the topic in the academia .

D r Hany el Hanna , founder o f Islamic Relief and Cha irman o f Humanita rian Forum said that “It can

take many years to change the ideo logy of extremist and it ’s not a short te rm problem.”

50

S hahid M alik MP in his speec h stressed that “The Government cannot delive r the Prevent agenda

on its own – this programme depends on collaborative work alongside the vast majority of people

across a ll communities in this country who re ject violent ex tremism and are determ ined to

challenge it. Tha t is why I would like to commend organisations like the M inhaj- ul-Q uran and their

work in faci litating d iscussion through this sort o f

seminar, reac hing out to young M uslims and promoting

the involvement of women in al l the ir ac tivit ies.”

The ques tion as to whether pove rty o r globalisation

supports ex tremism or radica lism is also discussed by

P rof J effrey H aynes o f the London M etropolitan

Unive rsity . He has a rgued tha t pove rty does not play a

ro le in c reating extremists since here in the wes t most o f

the extremis ts a re from educated and m iddle class families .

O n the o the r hand, M r H ussain highlights the case in Pak istan which has around 20 ,000 traditional

madrassas (rel ig ious schools ) where the majority o f them are run by the schoo ls of thought sim ilar

to that o f Islam4UK. The re the pupils who attend suc h madrassas a re from lower class families who

cannot a fford to s end their c hildren to s ta te or public schoo ls . It can be s een tha t the schola rs who

51

preac h ex tremism and in some c ases violent radicalism have attended these madrassas from whom

now Britis h youngste rs rece ive their s upport and guidance from, and their litera ture is also

d istributed a t Unive rsity Islamic socie ties .

The seminar also highlighted and concluded that in o rde r to elim inate the problem o f ex tremism

from its root the re is a need to close down the madrasses and m odernise them with modern and

scientific education.

Call by Mu slim youth leaders to end preaching h atred in universities

The M uslim youth leade rs in Conferences held throughout unive rsit ies in the UK have ca lled on

Islam ic extremists to stop promoting hatred in Brit ish unive rsities.

52

The M uslim Youth League UK ’s c onfe rence se ries comes jus t a few weeks a fter a fo rmer London

student tried to b low up an A merican plane . Nige rian te rrorist, Umar Abdul M uta lib, had been

active in ex tremist groups while studying at University C ollege London; it emerged a fte r the

C hris tmas Day attack .

B ut young M uslims speak ing in the c onfe rences by the name of “Islamic pe rspectives ” condemned

the behav iour.

M uslim Youth League leade r Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Q adr s on o f D r Muhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri told

the audience : "Ex tremism has no religion and people who have an ex treme politica l agenda do not

rep resent the British Muslims in the UK ."

53

League s pokespe rson Shahid Mursaleen said he believed UK universit ies were the primary

recruitm ent a rea fo r Islamic extremist groups like Islam4UK .

He sa id: "We are not aware o f any extremis t rec ruitment drives in Sheffield but I be lieve it to be

possible . We are working very hard to help unive rsit ies in any way we can do and to ens ure that

young, vulne rable M uslims are not brainwashed by extremist propaganda. W e invite ex tremists for

an open d ia logue to discuss the ir concerns and reso lve them peace fully ."

M uslim Youth League president Tahseen Kha lid said: "W e organized this conference to disc uss the

roots of extremist behav iour am ongst British Muslims and inv ite young people to listen to an

a lte rnative m oderate view."

A She ffield Hallam U nive rsity spokes person said: "L ike a ll unive rsit ies, S heffield Hallam would take

appropria te s teps to prevent any ac tivity that m ay be unlawful o r threatened people 's s a fety and

wellbeing."

Media Coverage:

http://www.the telegraphandargus.co .uk /news/4842197.Young_Muslims _condem n_Wootton_Basse

tt_march/

http://www.thes tar.c o.uk /news /C all-by-Muslim-youth-leaders.5968989 .jp

54

Brit ish Muslims Welcome Government Ban of Extremist Group

Dated: 10 January 2010

[10th January 2010 ]

LO NDON. M inha j- ul-Q uran international

UK (MQI UK ) has said that it has

welcomed the Gove rnment’s plan to ban

the extremis t organisation A l

M inha jiroun and also to s top the

Wootton Bassett march.

MQI UK spokesman S hahid M ursa leen

said tha t “We have always supported the

idea o f banning extreme indiv iduals and

extremist groups from working in this

country and have fo r a ve ry long time

been frustra ted that they have been

a llowed to infi ltrate unive rsities and mos ques to promote a m essage of hatred with their anti-west

agendas .”

S hahid M ursa leen added that “fo r too long a small group of extremists a re trying to hijack Islam

and B ritis h M uslims and also hopes that the implica tion o f this ban will be that m oderate Muslim

organisations such as M inha j- ul-Q uran UK whic h convey a peace ful, tolerant and moderate

message of Islam wil l be supported and assisted by the gove rnm ent in o rder to tackle this new

wave of growing ex tremism in B ritish Unive rsit ies .”

He further added tha t “R adicalism which leads towards te rrorism is like a cancer within the body of

M uslims worldwide and the majority of M uslims do not want it to be part of their body.”

S enio r MQI UK advisor, M rs S amra Yasmin Q adri sa id tha t “with the support of the gove rnment,

modera te Islamic organis ations can work effectively on all levels in society in order to c reate

integrated law-abiding, respectful, peac e ful and modera te M uslims and M uslim communities in the

UK.”

S enio r M inha j-ul-Q uran I nte rnationa l leader Mr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Q adri, who is currently on his

UK lecture tour said that "We need to prepare the younger generation mentally and academically ,

inte llectually and sp iritually against extremist tendencies and radica l and terrorist attitudes ."

M inha j- ul-Q uran I nternationa l UK has a rranged a seminar at the Houses of Parl iament fo r Tuesday ,

12 January to discuss the reasons why ex tremis t and radica l elements exist in B rita in and how we

55

can tackle it in which Mr Hussain Mohi- ud-D in Q adri, Dr Raheeq Abbasi, P ro f Je ffery Haynes , Dr

Waqar A zmi and Shahid Malik (UK M inis ter for C omm unities ) wil l speak .

MQI UK is a lso ho ld ing an anti- radica lism confe rence at Q ueen M ary , Unive rsity o f London to

d iscuss the Islam ic Polit ical System, Democ racy , Freedom o f speec h and growing Radicalism in

B rita in. M r Hussain M ohi- ud-Din Q adri, who is the son o f the prominent scho lar D r Tahir- ul-

Q adri, wil l be speak ing at the confe rence along with M inhaj-ul-Q uran Interna tional Secreta ry

General D r R aheeq A bbasi"

Sunday 12th January 2010

http://news .bbc .co.uk/2 /hi/uk_news /8453560.stm

Sunday 10th January 2010

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WO RLD/europe/01 /10 /uk .is lam ist.ban/

Tuesday 7th Ja nuary 2010

http://www.yellowad.co .uk/tn/news .cfm?id=470&headline=March% 20is%20crit icised% 20by%

20mosque%20officials

Tuesday 5th Ja nuary 2010

http://www.newham recorde r.co .uk /content/newham /recorde r/news /story.as px? brand=RECOnli

ne&category=newsNEWHAM &tBrand=northlondon24&tC ategory=newsnewham&itemid=WeED0

5%20Jan%202010%2016:44:24 :073

http://www.dailysta r.co .uk/news /view/115521/O utrage- as- firebrand-C houdary-says-Wootton-

B assett-marc h-will-go-ahead/

http://www.express.co.uk/posts /view/149748/-B ritis h-sold ie rs-a re- like-Nazis-says- hate-cle ric

Monday 4th Janua ry 2010

http://b logs .telegraph.co .uk /news/georgepitche r/100021298/if-anjem-choudary-wants-an-

anti-war-march- lets-give- him-one/

http://s ify.c om/news /187-000-facebooke rs-oppose-islam ist-march- through-brit ish- town-news-

inte rnational-kbe tkfghhgb.html

http://www.c iol.c om/Global-News/News-Reports /When-F acebookers-march-aga ins t-Islamic-

march/4110129622/0/

56

http://rel igion.gaea times .com/2010/01 /04/187000-facebookers- oppose- islam ist-march-

through-brit ish- town-329/

http://www.detik inet.com/read/2010/01/04 /135417/1271257/398/hadang- aksi- kelompok-

radikal-petisi-inte rnet-d igalang

Sunday 3rd January 2010

http://www.telegraph.co .uk /news/uknews/6927633/Muslim-cleric-A njem-C houdary- vows- to-

continue-Wootton-Basse tt-m arc h.htm l

MQI UK's Response to the March in Wootton Bassett [5th January 2010]

LONDON. Minhaj-ul-Q uran International UK (MQI UK) has expressed deep concern ov er the announcement by an extrem ist group to hold a m arch at Wooton Basset. MQ I UK 's spokesperson S hahid Mursaleen said that this group is known to consist of mem bers who are know n extrem ists and trouble m akers including their leader Anjem Choudary .

"We strongly condemns the announcement by an extremist group to go ahead w ith the planned march at Wootton B assett. M inhaj-ul-Q uran pays tribute to the dead B ritish soldiers, " he said.

“E xtremists like these alway s cla im to speak for I slam and B ritish Muslim s yet they are not qualified to do either. T hese kinds of extremists do not represent the British M uslims” H e added that “T his m arch w ill achiev e nothing other than to incite hate crim e against innocent law abiding British M uslim s.”

H e said that this m arch should not be allowed to take place and it defies belief that a group that is supposed to be banned can operate by just changing its name.

“I t m ust be rem em bered that a protest by a handful of extremists at a home com ing parade in Luton lead to v iolent demonstrations being held by the right-w ing English Defence League across the UK which targeted all innocent law abiding M uslim s. I f the governm ent and police do not act to stop this protest and curtail this group then there w ill be similar backlashes against B ritish Muslims.”

“Minhaj-ul-Q uran International U K has arranged a sem inar at the Houses of P arliament for next week to discuss the reasons w hy extrem ist and radical e lements exist in Brita in and how we can tackle it.”

"We have also launched a series of lectures for British youth 'Islamic Perspectiv es Series 2010' at Q ueen Mary , U niversity of London by Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Q adri to explore ways in tackling radical ideologies and groups such as I slam4UK."

57

Seminar: “Challenges for Muslim Youth” Hussain Moh i-ud-Din Qad ri Son o f Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qad ri speaks about radicalism, education and d emocracy

Rotterdam – O n Thursday 14 January a seminar took place at the Erasmus University titled ‘C hallenges for Muslim Youth’, organized by Minhaj-ul-Q uran International Netherlands. The chief guest of this evening was Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, son of the renowned scholar Shaykh-ul-Islam dr. Tahir-ul-Q adri. He urged the gathered youth to work for a culture of dem ocracy and education and to resist radicalism in all its manifestations.

58

59

The introductory lecture tit led ‘From Makkah to Rotterdam’ was given by Mohamm ad Cheppih. He in spired the yo uth with m any examples from the Islamic heritage, in how to live in a diver s an d non-I slamic environment and stil l be a goo d Muslim. In his lecture, Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadr i cautioned the listener s about the dan ger s of certain scholars an d their organizations: “I f we send our children to mosques wh ere narro w-th inking and radicalism is prea ched, th en we will destroy the liberal and pea cefu l m essage o f islam ”. He emphasized the fact that narrow-thinkin g lead to extremism, then to radicalism and eventually to terrorism. “Terro rism doesn’t belong to any religion, it actually doesn’t belong to humanity.“

He strongly stressed the fact that Islam is for dem ocracy : “Islam promoted dem ocracy in th e society. I t gave righ ts to women to participate in the parliam ent 1400 years ago. The I slam ic state of Madinah wa s a dem ocratic state. The third ca liph wa s selected b y voting and there was a parliamentary system . And the grandson of the Prophet (pbuh) fought again st Ya zid, the lead er o f the Islamic state a t that time, because Ya zid wa s a dictator.” Qadri sees the absen ce of democracy in m ost Muslim co untries is a fertile so il for m any so cial pro blem s. “Of the more than 50 countries th ere are hard ly dem ocratic coun tries. Even the so called dem ocracies aren’t real democracies. They don’ t represent th e Islam ic dem ocratic values. And because dictato rship doesn’t g ive people their rights, th ey become violent. They are rejected their rights and justice.” He finally urged the participants of this seminar to take up their responsibility: “We have seen ou r elders. They cam e to this country in critical situation. Today, i t’s on the next gen era tion of the society. Not just Mu slim s, I call upon youth o f every society: Leave hatred behind and respect and love each other.”

Minhaj Youth Holland

60

Peace Seminar in Oslo Norway January 2010

61

Peace and Harmony Conference Oslo2010 Pictorial view

Mr Hussain M uhiudin Qadri Son of Dr Muham mad Tahir-ul-Qadri

62

Akhtar Choudry Vise represetant I Stortinget

63

64

Historical Conference in Denmark under the t itle Religion and Radica lism

In the se rene surroundings o f the Danish Nationa l Libra ry M inha j ul Q uran Inte rnational Denmark

on O ctober 31st 2009 hos ted an ambitious conference with the foca l po int on rel igion and

radica lism. The venue is in C openhagen a c haracteristic o f the beautifu l Copenhagen harbor front

and is also known as the “B lack D iamand” from its s hape and black g lass facade as well as its vast

collec tion of contemporary and classical lite rature underlined the knowledge base this confe rence

was built on.

With the aim of discussing the topic from a gene ric angle a broad specte r o f high pro file pe rsons

with rela tion to the topic in their pro fession and research were in inv ited to speak at the

confe rence.

A mong the s peakers were

The Director o f The Danish Sec urity and Intell igence Se rvice , P revention C ente r, Jakob Ilum

Copenhagen Mayor of Integration Jakob Hougaard

Sc hola r Ph.D at the Southe rn Unive rsity of Denmark , P rof. Torben R ugberg Rasmussen

Pro fessor at Univers ity o f C openhagen, Pro f. Jø rgen Baek S imonsen

Adv isor to the Danis h M inistry o f I ntegration, D r. Karen Lise Johansen K arm an

65

Ph.D Researche r at the University o f C airo , Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Q adri,

66

A round 485 people had pre-booked the ir sea ts to pa rticipate in the confe rence. A mong those

Danish Police officers , priests , social worker, delegates from the German ,I ranian, and Pakis tani

embassy , Danish Unive rsity students and members o f the rel igious community in Denmark .

The confe rence was k icked o ff with a we lcome to the city o f dive rsity and tolerance by the

C openhagen Mayor o f Integra tion. C openhagen is active ly involved in assuring freedom of re ligion

and increasing tolerance by giving the diffe rent s ubcultures possibil ity to mainta in their c ulture and

re ligion. Late ly a lot o f focus is on build ing a grand M osque in C openhagen as an integra ted part of

a new city a rea.

67

The main focus o f the Direc tor o f the Danish Security and Intell igence Se rv ice (PET) was to

collaborate with the d ifferent re ligious groups in orde r to dim inish radical elements as

representatives from these groups a re m uch be tter in touch with the ir own community than PET.

He s tressed the need of the d ifferent groups to be proactive in the prevention o f radica lism. He

stated that the m ain victim o f radic al elements is not the surrounding society but the group itself

from which the radical elements arise . T his is due to the fact tha t the s ocie ty ga ins m istrus t and

demand for more control ove r the group.

D r. Torben R ugberg R asmussen from the Southe rn D anish U nive rsity put the d iscussion under

scrutiny by questioning the m ere premises fo r the deba te . H e asked whethe r rad icalism rea lly is a

society trigge red phenomena or if it is really a matte r related to the pe rsona l psycho logical

condit ions o f the ind ividual radica l subjec ts . Acknowledging tha t radicalism a ris es at the pe riphe ry

o f group cultures he finds it questionable that rad ical elements should be influenced by the group

culture rathe r than their own m ind se t. A nother important point from D r. Torben Rugberg was that

radica lism may be caused by be ing fa r from the core of the religion rather than being close to the

re ligion. T hus , he brings up the a rgument tha t ideology o f radicalism in itself can be opposite to the

re ligion or group it emerges from .

D r. J ø rgen Baek Sim onsen s tarted his ta lk by the fact that radicalism has been part of every

culture s ince the dawn o f man thus diminishing the point tha t radica lism is only a product o f a few

specific c ultures and relig ions . He also touched on the a rea o f the rad icalization process and

stressed the need to promote a positive world v iew within the rel igious groups.

68

A s a break in the conference M inha j Media Group Denmark had crea ted a video with the tit le "Is

this rel ig ion?" The v ideo was a photo montage s howing on one s ide the outrageous acts and crimes

done in the nam e o f rel ig ion and also the harmony and beauty o f worship done all over the world.

The v ideo moved the audience to tears as the contrast o f true Radic alism and true Religion.

D r. K aren Lise Johansen Karman gave an interesting insight into the activities currently going on in

the m inistry o f integration and m entioned projects aiming a t education and activ ities for young

individuals. T he basic thesis is that being educa ted and being busy with produc tive work will

promote a more s ocie ty positive pe rception a t the ta rgeted group.

Hassan M ohi- ud-Din Q adri finalized the c onfe rence with an insight for the non-m uslim audience and

a reminder fo r the m uslim participants. “Radica lism has no re ligion” was the opening o f his speech.

No rel ig ion in the world promotes ex tremism . H assan M ohi- ud-Din Q adri specified his focus to the

M uslim heritage o f the tradit ions of our beloved prophet (SA W) and his followers . H e mentioned

how non-muslim ’s were protected in a mus lim society and how places o f worship o f othe r rel igions

than Islam were also pro tected. E ven to the extent that Mosques tha t were built in v iola tion with

the rules would be demolished in order to regain the rights o f m inority re ligions. He mentioned the

M edinan trea ty, which as the first treaty of the world explicitly gave rights to minorit ies and the

weak in society. A lso in abso lute terms forbade extremism and radicalism.

69

A fte r the conference the pane lists joined fo r dinner and were presented with flowers and books

written by S haykh ul Islam D r.Tahir ul Q adri. They highly appreciated the in it ia tive by M inha j ul

Q uran International D enmark and insured with jo int and collective struggle to combat ex tremism

and radicalism.

70

71

Islam stands for peace, security and excellence The MQI delega on me et me mb er s of pa rl iame nt UK

h p: //www. mi nhaj .or g/engl ish/ d/7727/

A delegation from the London branch of

the M inhajul Q uran International

organisation met with UK members of

parliament on Wednesday 25th February

2009. The delegation headed by Sahibzada

Hussain Mohi-ud-Din al-Q adri and

members included: Ishtiaq A hmad -

C hairman of the London branch of MQI,

Shaykh Sadiq Q urayshi - M inister of Religion, A bass A ziz –Secretary General and A s if

Shakoor – External Affairs Secretary met members of the UK parliament: Julie

MacDougall – caseworker for parliament, Lindsay Roy – MP for Glenrothes & Central Fife,

Mohammad Sarwa r – MP for Glasgow, Kirs ty Mc C ullegh – Research Assistant for MP

Lindsay Roy, Russell Brown - MP for Dumfries & Galloway Constituency.

In London’s centre of politics Sahibzada Hussain M ohi-ud-Din al-Q adri told MPs: “I would

like to present an accurate image of Islam which is often mis represented by people.” He

further told the leading politic ians: “Islam s tands for peace, security and excellence. Dr

Q adri and M inhaj ul Q uran is representing this today”. Sa hibzada Hussain defined the

very foundations and pri nc iples of Islamic law and said they were based on avoida nce of

hardship and easing o f di fficulty. He added t hat Is lam was not for killing people and

c reating hardships . Sahibzada Hussain said: “There is no compuls ion in Islam; there are

no ha rdships; it’s all in the la w o f Is lam. It’s not something I am making up in order to

better the image of Is lam”

Whatever is presented today in relation to Is lam is completely false. Sahibzada Hussain

said: “How can such a religion ask to des troy a nd kill people when the P rophet

M uhammad – the torchbearer of peace explicitly prohibited the killing of children and

women during a rmed combat.”

In a message of harmony Sahibzada Hussain said: “M uslim society is not an isolated

soc iety but an i ntegrated community. I t does not matter whethe r your neighbour is a

non-Mus lim, the first share should go to him. A short minority misrepresented Islam. We

need love, we need to love thi ngs , even love animals; they are all living t hings . Those

who promote extremism have nothing to do wit h Is lam. Love eliminates hatred and

extremism. Anger and jealousy should be taken away t hrough the seed o f love. No

narrow thinking ; Is lam hates and fo rbids it in t he s tric tes t terms.

72

Sahibzada Hussain said destroying schools and ins titutions of learning is not pa rt o f

Is lam. Freeing and educating a concubine or people ea rned a huge re ward in Is lam. In

P rophet Muhammad’s era prisoners were released if they imparted educated to the

children during their imprisonment.

Speaking about the life and miss ion of the founder of M inhaj ul Q uran International (MQI)

Sahibzada Hussain said: “We have taken the same path Dr Q adri has taken. He has

taken his life to spread harmony and peace among people , countries , communities and

faiths . We need a peaceful miss ion for our future ge nerations .”

Sahibzada Hussain said: “No one calls the Tamil tigers terroris ts in Sri Lanka. No one

calls the Jewish and C hris tian elements of violence Jewish or C hristian terrorists . I f you

highlight an individual who does not represent us (Muslims) helps that one individual a nd

not the entire M us lim community.” Dr Q adri has taken an open and blunt s tand agains t

the perpet rators of the 9/11 acts . Dr Q adri is the author of articles published in the

international press on Islam and Peace and the most misunderstood Concept of Jihad.

Sahibzada Hussain Muhiduddin al-Q adri is the son of the foremost living authority o f

Is lam – Shaykh ul Islam Dr M uhammad Tahir ul Q adri.

Sahibzada Hussain in his speech said terrorists are us ing children for their brutal

activities and evil works. 750 million US dollars have been spent on war in A fghanis tan.

The 750 million dollars should have bee n spent on building ins titutions of learning –

schools , colleges and univers ities “I f you make t heir life beautiful. Then they will love

you. They say life is not good; it's not worth living; so t hey resort to suic ide and killing

themselves . Extremism originates from poverty as well. When they have a beauti ful

future, t hey will not opt to die . I would like to convey this message to the corridors of

powe r in the House of Commons” said Sahibzada Hussain.

Sahibzada Hussain sent a very s trong message to key policymakers and lawmakers . H is

well received message echoed in the corridors o f t he House of Commons . Glasgow

C ons tituency MP M ohammed Sarwar said: “I wish that Hussain’s voice is heard and I am

sure it will be heard .” MP Sarwar also said: “I know Hussain’s father Dr Tahir ul Q adri- a

scholar of immense repute and s tature.” He also added: “I have heard Hussain speak

about Is lam; he is a very great speaker I have been inspired by.” This ended the great

Sahibzada Hussain’s visit to the UK’s House of C ommons

73

Sahibzada Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri Meets the British Department of Communities and Local Government

h p: //www. mi nhaj .or g/engl ish/ d/7899

Sahibzada Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, the son of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr

Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, was invited in London to share his views with the

Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on 25th February

2009. The purpose of the meeting was to help the British Muslim community.

Maqsood Ahmad O BE (standing left) who is

senior Advisor on Islamic Affairs and

Interfaith to Department chaired the m eeting

and expressed his pleasure at hosting a

prominent scholar like the son of the Shaykh-

ul-Islam of the time.

Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri is seen above

flanked by the leading figures of the DCLG

present, Liz Sleeman (left) the deputy head of the Preventing Extrem ism Unit

and Jane Everton (right) Deputy Dire ctor of the Faith and Cohesion Directorate;

they said they felt truly privileged and honoured by Hussain Mohi-ud-Din’s

participation in their meeting.

The meeting was arranged by this governm ent body to take advice and

form ulate new strategies to make Muslims more prominent in the society and

tackle extrem ism.

They were later joined by Azhar Ali (above, middle), the senior advisor to Rt Hon

Hazel Blears MP – Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Hussain Mohi-ud-Din’s discourse highlighted the importance of having more

Bri tish born and bred trained imams and scholars for the guidance of Muslim

youth. This, he explained, is because these im ams would be able to communicate

better with the newer generation having been brought up in the country. He also

suggested that courses should be set up to train the existing imams in English

language, communication skills and certain aspects of sociology to help them

74

become more accessible to the community. He said that the doors of Minhaj-ul-

Q ur’an International are open to help with these ideas.

He highlighted the problem s of extremism and provided solutions in the form of

detailed guidelines and procedures. He listed the causes leading to terrorism and

pointed out that it was up to both Muslims and non-Muslims to work together to

tackle it. “Even if the ordinary village im am is seen as unaware of the m odern

world and somewhat old fashion… at least he will try speaking to you with his

mouth and not with a gun.”

The meeting also appreciated and lauded the efforts and works of Minhaj-ul-

Q ur’an International in Pakistan for welfare wo rk and interfaith harmony.

The meeting ended with Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri presenting the gathered with

2 books he had recently written:

1. Sugarcane Ethanol as an Alternate Fuel Source for Pakistan is a research-

based work, which tends to explore sugarcane ethanol as viable energy source.

2. SAARC & Globalization: Issues, Prospects and Policy Prescriptions; This thro ws

light on the various aspects of globalization in relation to SAARC.

The meeting ended with key initiatives noted to help British Muslims go into

further education and m ore skilled jobs.

75

Peace & Integration Workshop held in Oslo (Norway )

http://www.minhaj.org/english/tid/8701

Dated: 12 July 2009

A ended by a lar ge numb er of wor ker s,

associates and office hol der s of

Scandinavian chapters of Minhaj-ul-Quran

Interna onal , Peace & Integ ra on Conference was held from July 10 to July 12,

2009 under the banne r of Minhaj-ul -Quran

Interna onal Os l o wi th the cooper a on of

MQI European Council. A caravan of MQI

Denmark comprising more than 250 people a ended the pr ogram. Bes i des thi s, peopl e

from Sweden, Finland, Germany, Spain, France and England also par ci pated in the

Workshop. Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul -Qadri, unde r whose patronage the

program was held, also delivered his talk to the par ci pants on trai ni ng- rel at ed ma ers .

The central leaders who spoke in the Workshop included Sahibzada Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, president of MQI Supreme Council, Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi, Secretary General o f

MQI, Allama Sadiq Qureshi, Amir o f MQI London, Allama Hafiz Iqbal Az am, Di rec tor of

Minhaj-ul-Quran Founda on Eur ope, Al lama No or Ahma d Noor and Al lama Has san Mi r

Qadri.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul-Qadri said that Islam espoused and promoted peace

and harmony and has ordained its followe rs to become the source of peace for those around

them. Some misguided people were bringing a bad name to Islam and peaceful Muslims

through their evil ac ons . Howe ver , pr esence of such des t ruc ve and i njuri ous elemen t s

should never be construed as being the representa on of Isl am' s me s sage and thought . Dr

Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri, whose services for promo on of int er fai th di al ogue and harmony at the global level are recognized, urged the West to start a dialogue with the

76

mainstream Muslims at an ins tu onal level to hel p curb e xt remi s t tendenci es. A

documentary film of ‘Aagos h’ (Or phan Car e Home under Mi nhaj We l far e Founda on) was

also shown on a bi g digital screen. Sahibzada Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri delivered a ra onal ,

logical and thought-provoki ng Friday sermon on ‘Rela ons hi p wi th the Hol y Prophet (saw) .

The formal proceedings of the camp got underway with recita on from the Hol y Quran by

Qari Zaheer Ahmad followed by recital of Naat by Minhaj Naat Council Denmark. Shaykh-ul-

Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul -Qadri delivered special address to the training session.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul-Qadri said: only the journey undertaken for the sake

of knowledge implemented in prac cal life is cons i der ed the bl es sed one. He sai d that the

Prophets, saints and blessed people of Allah would underta ke frequent journeys to the

distant and far -off pl aces for the sake of knowl edg e because what ev er a per son can lear n

during a journey, he cannot do the same while staying at the same place. He said that li l e

importance should be given to facility be cause it is part o f training. He said that we were on

a journey in our lives and we should not lose sight o f our final journey. He ur ged the

par ci pants to love Al lah int ens el y becaus e love does not admi t of po l ythei sm. Wh enev er

Allah talks o f love, He does not want this love to be devoted to Him alone. Rather He

includes the love for the Holy Prophet (saw) in this whole.

Shaykh-ul-Islam said that man was also a traveler and we should try to get rid o f love for the

Satan and the alluring desires o f ill-commanding self by replacing it with love for Allah and

His Prophet (saw) so that our condi ons both inter nal and ex ter nal coul d under go

transforma on. The first sign of fait h i s t hat love of All ah a nd His Prophet (saw) shou l d be

superior to all other kinds of love in the world. Allah Almighty di d not adopt this st yle o f descrip on for any one el se. He di d not me n on t he name of any other crea on wi th Hi s

Name and ordained His servants to hold it superior to others. It is only lawful for the person

of the Holy Prophet (saw).

Two Norwegian people embraced Islam at the hands of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad

Tahir -ul-Qadri in the training camp. It was announced a er the Fr iday pr ayer that a Norwegian woman wanted to get into the fold of Islam and wanted to embrace faith in front

of everyone present the re. The woman was brought to the main hall fully dressed in Islamic

77

veil and she embraced Islam at the hands of Shaykh-ul-Islam. A large number of people we re

present in MQI Oslo Islamic Cente r.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul-Qadri asked the woman in English langua ge

whether she was embracing Islam out of her free will or under any coercion. She replied that

she was accep ng Isl am wi llingl y and out of her free vol i on. Shaykh- u l- Islam t hen

administered Kalma to the woman and briefed her about basic pillars of Islam and beliefs.

She was renamed as Zainab. In the similar manner, a man also accepted Islam at the hands of Shaykh-ul -Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qa dri. The newly converted Norwegian was

renamed as Ahmad Hussain at that occasion.

A mee ng pr esi ded over by Shaykh- ul -Isl am Dr Mu hamma d Tahi r-ul -Qa dr i and a ended by

office hol ders and wor ker of MQI dec i ded t o e st abl i sh ‘ Hal qa- e-Dur ood’ at fort y different

places in the city. The dura on of one such ses si on wo ul d not be longer than two hour s and

forty sessions would be held at different pl aces every week.

Talking to the people at the occasion, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri said

that this step would help promote the message of MQI and strengthen the weakening

spiritual rela ons hi p of the Umma wi th the Hol y Pr ophet (saw) . “Thi s is how the br oken

rela ons hi p wo ul d not onl y be repai red but the wo rri es of peopl e wo ul d al so be les sened, ” he concluded.

78

European Workshop on Peace & Integration, Milan Italy

h p: //www. mi nha j .or g/engl ish/ d/8 716

Dated: 26 July 2 009 M inha j- ul-Q uran European C ouncil and M inha j- ul-Q uran I nte rna tional (I taly c hapte r) organized Peace & I ntegra tion Workshop in Ripa M onti Hote l o f M ilan c ity o f I ta ly from July 17 to J uly 19, 2009. S haykh-ul-Islam Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri, founding leade r and patron-in-chie f o f M inha j- ul-Q uran I nternationa l graced the occasion on s pecia l invita tion. Besides him , the d ist inguis hed participants who a ttended the Workshop included Sahibzada Hassan M ohi- ud-Din Q adri, president of MQI Supreme Council, Sahibzada Hammad M usta fa Q adri al-Madani, Dr R aheeq A hmad A bbasi the MQI S ecretary General, A llama Nazir A hmad Khan, Dawood H ussain M ash`hadi, coord inator fo re ign a ffairs, A llam a Hassan M ir Q adri, Amir European Council, Sayyid Ars had Shah, president of E uropean C ouncil, M uhammad Naeem S hah, vice president of E uropean Council, Ha fiz M uhammad Iqba l Azam, Sec reta ry G eneral E uropean Council, M ian Maqsood Ik ram, director Media

of

European Council, Naveed A hmad A ndalusi, and othe r leaders o f MQ I Europe . Sarfraz A hmad, president of MQ I North I taly , Ha ji K halid Mahmood, vice pres ident, M uhammad A shraf, and o ffice holders o f MQ I South Ita ly M uhammad A li Baghat, M ans had Ahmad, Samee Ullah Warriach, Ha fiz A bdul Mana f, Zahee r Anjum and othe r worke rs made strenuous e ffo rts day in and day out to make this Workshop a s uccess.

The Day One Proceedings

The participants had sta rted reaching the nearby airports i.e . Be rgamo and Malpensa near the

M ilan city a day before the

start of the workshop fo r

participa tion. The associa tes

workers of MQI across E urope and

began to arrive at 7 am since

morning on the first day of

workshop on July 17. The the

organization had made host

a rrangements o f bus es and cars for transportation o f the partic ipants who were c oming from

diffe rent pa rts o f Europe to the hote ls. The gues ts, who were coming in the form of c aravans , were

d ivided into various groups and trans ported to the Ripam onti hotel through hired buses and ca rs

from all the a irports o f M ilan. The hos t o rganiza tion formed two committees to look a fte r the

trans port matte rs and facil itate the incoming guests in the best possible manner with m inimum of

79

inconvenience.

The formal proceedings o f the T raining Workshop got underway with the recitation from the Ho ly

Q uran by Q ari M uhammad Tariq (France) fo llowed by rec ita l of Naa t by various Naat-Khawans lik e

M uhammad A sghar Q adri (G reece), Q ari Muhammad Tariq (F rance), Fa rhan Aslam (France),

M uhammad Q adeer A hmad K han (S pain) and M uhammad A fzal Q adri (I taly ). A llama Hassan M ir

Q adri gave introductory talk , brie fed the de lega tes about the sc hedule o f the camp and passed on

o the r instructions . M uhammad Naeem C haudhry , v ice president of MQI European C ouncil,

welcomed the guests on beha lf o f M inha j European C ouncil and M inhaj-ul-Q uran Inte rna tional I taly .

A sr praye r was o ffe red a fterwards.

A t 6 :40 pm, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri ente red the hall and more than seven

hundred workers , associates and leaders of MQI from across Europe gave a s tanding ova tion to His

Eminence . B e fore he started his discourse fo rma lly, S haykh-ul-Islam welcomed all the delegates

and congratulated MQ I Italy for holding the prestigious and historic Training Works hop on Peace &

Integration. Mr. Giampie ro A lbe rti, in-charge priest o f interfa ith rela tions of C atholic Church (Italy)

a lso came to the camp on s pecial invita tion and held a meeting with Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr

M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri. S haykh-ul-Islam we lcomed the guest and sa id that he was p leased on

his coming to the occasion. C onversation be tween Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri and Mr. Giampie ro

A lberti took p lace in I ta lian language . M r. F aizan Ashraf and Muhammad Ars had Shah rende red the

inte rpreters ' services .

The representative o f the Christ ian C ommunity said tha t he was working fo r promotion o f interfa ith

re la tions and was immensely impressed by the work M inha j- ul-Q uran I nternational was doing fo r

the promotion o f global peace and harmony among civi lizations through its worldwide network. He

said tha t the doors o f al l Churches o f Italy were open to MQ I. He sa id both C hris tians and M uslims

believed in the same God and this fos te red the feelings o f brothe rhood and mutual respect.

S haykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri to ld the C hris tian leader tha t MQ I was playing its

important role in bringing people of diffe rent cultures , re ligions and civil izations close r to one

another in the entire world includ ing Europe . Welcoming the gesture of the C hristian Community

leade r, he a lso conveyed the message o f good will to the fo llowers o f C hristianity on behalf o f the

M uslim community.

80

Shaykh-ul-Islam’s keynote speech His Eminence Shaykh-ul-Islam D r M uhammad

Tahir- ul-Q adri spoke on mutual bro therhood and

the S unna o f the Ho ly P rophet (s aw). Shaykh-ul-

Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri said tha t

Islam espoused and promoted peace and

harmony and has ordained its fo llowers to

become the source o f peace for those a round

them . Some misguided people were bring ing a

bad name to Islam and peace ful Muslims through

their ac tions . However, presence of suc h fringe elements should never be construed as being the

representation o f Islam's message and thought. Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri, whos e se rvices fo r

promotion o f inte rfaith d ialogue and harmony a t global level are rec ognized, urged the West to

start a d ialogue with the ma instream Muslims a t an institutional level to help curb extremist

tendencies.

D uring the speec h o f Shaykh-ul-Islam, there was break for evening prayer. T he speech o f H is

Eminence D r Muhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri continued ti ll 12 at night. A fter Isha prayers at 12,

a rrangements fo r open air dinne r were in p lace for the de legates by M inhaj E uropean C ounc il and

MQI Ita ly .

Proceedings of the second day

The activ ities of the s econd day s ta rted with the breakfast in the morning. T he delegates a fter

taking their break fas t a t 9:30 s ta rted reaching the W orkshop Hall. A llam a Hassan M ir Q adri threw

l ight on ‘the requisite character fo r the se rvice o f rel igion’ in the light of training manua l ‘M inha j- ul-

A ml’. He instruc ted the partic ipants to o rde r their lives in accordance with the direc tions contained

in the training manual. D r Raheeq A hmad A bbasi als o spoke on the aims and objec tives of MQI. He

asked worke rs to resolve the ir m utual differences amicably , act upon the Constitution o f MQ I,

implement and get the policy decisions o f C entral Secretariat implemented, and respec t the

d iffe rence o f opinion etc .

A fte r the speech of Secreta ry General D r Abbasi, a documentary fi lm containing the introduction of

various Directorates of MQI was played on projector screen, whic h the audience lik ed ve ry m uch.

A t 2 p.m ., A llama Ha fiz N azeer A hmad delivered speech on the serv ices of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr

M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri for the reviva l of the Muslim culture, civ il ization and polity .

S ahibzada H assan M ohi-ud-D in Q adri, president of MQI S upreme Council, gave a detailed talk on

the topic of qua lities of leade rship fo r two hours . The main points o f his speech were as follows :

• D es pite be ing s hown the des tina tion, leade rs hip’s expos ure to d iffic ult ies and try ing

c irc ums tanc es in the l ight of l i fe o f the P rophets and F riends o f A llah;

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• M Q I is a ls o on its way to des tina tion ac hiev ing its targets following the footsteps of Friends of A llah and the S unna o f the P rophe ts ;

• N eed of c ontinuous hard work, patience and fo rbearanc e fo r the a tta inment o f destination;

Afte r the A sr praye rs, Shaykh-ul-Islam said in his

keynote speec h on the second day :

"Thanks to some developm ents ac ross the globe fo r

last few years, tha t the universal va lues of great

religion, Islam, have come in fo r denuncia tion. By

invoking the ac tions of a few ind iv idua l Muslims to

typ ify the c harac te r and conduct o f mill ions of

adherents o f this d iv ine fa ith, e ffo rts have been made

to equate Islam with bigotry and obscurantism. This is most unfortunate at a time when the need

fo r inter- faith dialogue and harmony cannot be over- emphasized in o rde r to bridge the gulf

between Islam and West. The proponents o f 'clas h o f civ ilizations' and their counte rparts in the

Islam ic world are bent upon c rea ting differences aimed at s preading confus ion and

m is understanding about the teachings o f Islam. I n v iew of these circ umstances , it is al l the more

necessary to bring the m essage o f Islam in correct pers pective to se rve the cause o f coexis tence

Islam so emphatically lays its stress on.

Let me s tate at the outset c ategorically and unambiguously that the message o f Islam is peace ,

tranquility and unity . If one concentrates on the meanings o f the word 'Islam ', it appears tha t this

word takes its o rigin from s alum a (s a fe ty ) o r silm (peace). E tymologica lly and literally the word

'Islam ' means 'peace , tranquility and harmony'. T he word 'Im aan ' can be trans la ted into or more

clea rly it means 'faith'. E very re ligion is based on faith. F aith is known as Imaan in Islam ic

te rm ino logy . Imaan has its own root-word — am an . Am an again means 'peace , tranquility and

harmony '. The d ifferenc e between Islam and Imaan c an be explained in the sense that the re is a

fa ith to be believed in and there is practical o rder to be practised. T he faith is known as Imaan and

the practica l orde r is known as Islam .

In Is lam , the word Imaan is used in two dimensions.

Firs tly it means to be in peace or to live in peace.

Secondly, it connotes liv ing for peace and being

peaceful to othe rs. A ccording to Islam a man who

does not ma inta in peace fo r mank ind, cannot be

regarded as a genuine M uslim or even a be lieve r. T he

believe r is the man who lives only peacefully fo r

mankind. W hen he lives for the sake o f othe rs , only

then he would be blessed with Divine peace by A llah Alm ighty. T he H oly P rophe t (saw) was sent

not only for the A rabs or a s pecific tribe o r te rrito ry but his raising was fo r the who le of mankind.

A s declared by the H oly Q ur'an:

"O m en! I am s ent to you all as the Apostle of Allah."(7 :158)

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It has been m entioned in the trad it ion o f the Holy P rophe t (saw): "I have been raised (as

M essenger) for the who le creation." Here lies the main point. Since the raising o f the Holy P rophet

(saw) is for the who le mank ind, his message of peace is also fo r the who le mank ind. The H oly

Q ur'an gives the idea of peace and welfa re fo r mankind on the basis of unity of mankind. T he H oly

Q uran says:

"O m ankind! Reverence your Guard ian-Lord, Who created you f rom a single pers on."(4 :1)

The verse has two layers of inte rpretation name ly his to rical inte rpretation and scientific

inte rpretation. F rom the point o f view o f historical interpreta tion, the whole mankind has been

c rea ted from a sing le fa ther, A dam (as). He is the origin of the whole mankind. Everybody has

been crea ted from the same sing le unit. From the pe rspective o f scientific interpreta tion, the ve rse

shows that the whole mankind has been crea ted from a sing le ce ll o f li fe and tha t is zygote .

A ccording to the his to ric al and scientific approach, the origin of human life comes into the ca tegory

o f s ingle unity. T his unity (histo rica lly and scientifica lly) o f the c reation o f m ankind indica tes that

our destination is als o the a ttainment o f unity. We s hould work for the uplift and unity o f mankind.

This uplift o f mankind, its we lfa re and bette rment is absolute ly impossible without ha rmony ,

reconciliation and unity.

In his last se rmon delivered to the be lievers , the Ho ly P rophet (s aw) elim inated the unjust o rde r

imposed upon mankind. That unjust orde r at tha t t ime was based on human degrada tion, s ocia l

injustice , economic explo itation and polit ical suppression. T he P rophet o f Islam (saw) inaugura ted a

new world o rde r based upon four concepts namely respect for humanity , social equality , economic

justic e and polit ical freedom .

The concept o f human welfa re is the bas ic ta rge t and we need to pool toge ther a ll our resources fo r

its a ttainment at pers onal, s ocia l and globa l leve ls. A ny type of process o f re form has to sta rt from

the personal level in Islam ic scheme of things. Islam ins tructs and educates us that we lfare should

be achieved at every leve l by creating a balance and harmony be tween mundane and sp iritual

aspects o f l i fe . Human pe rsonality is a compact who le consisting of many parts , whic h a re

epitomized in the fo rm o f div ision o f l ife between secula r and spiritual aspects. B iologica l dimension

o f l i fe is manifested in social, cultura l, socio-cultura l, psycholog ical aspects and the re is a need to

take these factors into v iew too at the pe rsonal doma in.

E ffo rts should als o be made for the achievement of human welfa re a t the s ocia l leve l, the level o f

collec tive env ironment o f our soc iety . W e have to work for the elimination o f economic explo itation

so that human welfa re is achieved s ocia lly. We have to fight against po litica l oppression and for

educational uplift. W e have to campaign for economic, s ocia l, cultura l and sp iritual welfa re. T his is

not possible without eradica tion o f ha tred. There is no p lace for hatred in communities. Ideas and

philosophies can be diffe rent but we need to look at the singula rity o f o rigin in s pite of diffe rences

and p lurality of ideas. A llah A lmighty has created ba lance between s ingularity and p lurality . It is

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this d ive rsity , which brings about perfection, ba lance , to lerance and moderation in socie ty.

Histo rica lly speak ing, people be longing to va rious rel igions have l ived in Islamic societies as equal

partners in the business of state and this aspec t of m ultic ulturalism figures quite prominently in

Islam ic s ocie ties ." His Eminence Shaykh-ul-Islam D r Muhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri urged the need for

more interaction and dia logue am ong civi liza tions aimed at foste ring greate r unders tanding in the

la rge r interest o f global peace and harmony . He said M inha j- ul-Q uran I nternational was work ing

worldwide fo r the achievement o f the above objective. He als o instructed the participants to

become the source o f peace and contribute to the development o f their respective socie ties .

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The Na onal Peace Conf erence Joi nt Commu ni qué

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/7897

Dated: 09 Apri l 2009

The Na onal Peace Conf erence wa s hel d on

April 9, 2009 under the auspices of Minhaj-

ul-Quran Interna onal and Paki stan Awami

Tehreek. The conference was a ended by

150 representa ves of var i ous pol i cal and

religious par es , we l far e or gani za ons, and

other organiza ons repr esen ng different

classes of society in addi on to lawy er s, rel igi ous scho l ar s, students, jour nal ist s and trader s.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri addressed the Conference telephonically. Nazim-e-Aala

Minhaj-ul-Quran Interna onal Dr Raheeq Abbasi and Nai b Na zim Aal a Shei kh Zahi d Fayyaz

discharged their responsibili es as the Conf er ence Sec ret ary.

The Conference was vastly a ended by di gni tar i es and po l i cians l ike Mal i k Ghul am Mus tafa

Khar (Ex Governor Punjab), Ghulam Ahmed Bilour (Fede ral Minister Railway), Liaqat Baloch

(Cent ral Naib Amir Jamaat e Islami), Ihsan Wain (Sec. Gen. ANP), Pir Na zim Shah (Markazi

PPP leader), Miskeen Faiz-ur-Rahman Durrani, (President PAT), Anwaar Akhtar Advocate

(Sec. Gen. PAT), Ijaz Ahmed Ch. (Vice P resident Tehreek e Insaf), Ib sam Ilahi Zaheer (Sadar

Jamiat Ahle Hadith), Hameed-ud-Din Al-Mashriqi (Quaid Kha ksar Tehreek), Sardar Rauf

Kashmiri (Chairman JK Libera on Front ), Ha fiz Aaki f Saeed ( Ami r Tanz eem I slami ) , Dr Maj i d

Abel (Pastor In charge of Naulakha Presbyterian Church), Malik Hakmeen (PPPP), Firdos Bu

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(Ex, President Lahore Hi gh Court Bar), Sohail Mahmood Bu (Chai rma n Anj uma n Taj ran,

Mall Road), Prof. Muhammad Akram Chish (Cent eral Deput y Sec ret ary, An j uma n Asat aza) ,

Prof. Muhammad Awan (President Anjuman Asataza ) Khalid Parvez (President Anjuman

Tajran Urdu Ba zaar), Rashid Gardezi (ATI ) , Sayyid Raheel Shah (P resident PSF), Shabbir Siyal

(Tehreek e Insaf), Dr Manohar Chand (Krishna Mandar), Padri Chaman, Sayyid Danish

(Secretary General, ISO), Sayyid Tufail (President Jammu Kashmir Libera on Front ) , Sar dar

Kalyan Si ngh Kalyan, Sardar Ranjeet Singh (Gorudwara Dera Sahib), Sayyid Nau Bahar Shah

(Chairman Shia Poli cal Par ty) , Sme ea Raheel Qaz i (Ex . MN A) , Admi ral (R) Javed Iqbal

(Cent ral Addi onal Secretar y Gener al , Tehr eek e Insaf ), Br igadi er Iqbal Ahma d Khan, Shadab

Raza Qa dri (Sunni Tehreek), Adeeb Javidani (Chairman All Pa kistan Private Schools

Associa on) , Babar Bu ( Presi dent Taj ar I ehad, Punj a b), Khal i d Ma li k (Vice Pr es i dent , Amn

Commi ee) , Mu hamma d Babar (Sec ret ar y Gener al , Mu ahi da T al aba Mah az ) , Khwa j a

Junaid (Ex Olympian), Tayyab Saqib (Pakistan Foreigners Associa on) , Aagha Mu rtaz a Poya,

Ali Ghazanfar Karrarvi, Zulfiqa Al i (PSO) , Far ooq Az ad Khan (Pr es i dent Peopl es Mu s l im

League), Allama Rana Muhammad Idrees, Sohail Ahmad Raza, Jawwad Hamid, Sajid

Mahmood Bha , Ahmad Nawaz Anj um, Mia n Abdul Qadi r , Sayyi d Ali Raz a Rizwi , Lehrasab

Khan Gondal Advocate, Muhammad Ish aq Choudhar y Advocat e, Na eem ud Di n Ch.

(Coordinator Pa kistan Awami Lawers Movement ), Fa ma Ma s h' hadi (Pr esi dent Mi nhaj -ul -

Quran Women League), Sumera Ra faqat (Nazima MWL), Maria Kokab (Aurat Founda on) ,

Rehana Kausar, Saima Fayyaz, Tahira Batool, Uzma Bukhari, Faiza Malik, Huma Aziz, Bilal

Mustafavi (President MYL), Syed Farhat Hussain Shah (Na zim Ulama Council), Sajid Hameed

Gondal (Secretary General, MSM), Miss Uzma Saeed Advocate, Sarfara z Ahmad Khan, Nasir

Iqbal Advocate, Mahboob Hussain Advocate, Wasim Zafar Advocate, Muhammad Afzal

Gujjar, Hafiz Ghul am Far i d, Mi an I ekhar Ahmad , Raj a Muh amma d Nadeem, Haj i

Muhammad Is'haq, Dr Tanvir Azam Sa ndhu, Shahid La f, Mi r As i f Ak bar , I ikhar Bai g, Haf eez

Ch, Qazi Faiz ul Islam and other leaders.

The conference pondered over the internal and e xte rnal terrorism Pakistan is faced with, the

escala ng sui ci de a acks, per si stent l y deteri ora ng l aw an d or der si tua on in the count r y,

the eve r-moun ng sens e of ins ecur i ty, the thr eat s to the sol idar i ty and survi val of Paki stan,

fast rising economic imbalance and the resultant terrorist tendencies. The leaders and the

representa ves of var i ous par es pre sented t hei r views , opi nions and anal yses of the d ismal

situa on prev ai ling in the count ry.

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The Conference agreed upon to issue this joint communiqué comprising the following salient

points.

1. The Conference strongly condemns the unending ac vi es of terr ori sm i n Paki stan

including the suicide a acks. It dec l ared al l the el eme nts invol ved in thes e inhuma n

and barbaric ac vi es an - I slamic and an Pakis t an. The confer ence tak es excep on

to the an -state el eme nt s respons i bl e for terror i sm in the count ry and ex pr essed firm

resolve to con nue condemn i ng al l the ter ror i st ac vi es by al l mean s and at all

levels and declares persistent struggle against terrorism ll its tot al el imi na on f rom

the homeland.

2. The conference intensely and deeply condemns the perpetual Drone a acks in the

Pakistani territory. They are an assault against the independence and i ntegrity of

Pakistan, sheer viola on of the UNO charter and the wo r st ex amp l e of state

terrorism.

3. The Conference strongly condemns the ever-increasing open interference in the

internal affai rs of Paki stan, the stat eme nts bei ng issued ag ai ns t Paki stan and its

various ins tu ons par cular ly ISI and conspi raci es t o l i nk up Pa ki s tan wi th te rrori sm.

4. The world powers are warned that the Drone a acks are di rec t inter f er ence and

these and other such nega ve me as ur es ar e caus i ng pr omo on of terr ori sm a nd

crea ng symp at hy for the ter ror i st s. It is dema nded ag ai ns t thi s perspec ve t hat i f

the world powers and interna onal for ums ar e si ncer e in el imi na ng terr ori sm t hen

this prac ce shoul d stop for thwi th.

5. Pakistanis are peace-loving and long for peace all over the world. They have always

condemned terrorism in the world severel y and strongl y. They can never even

imagine of a ggression against a ny country or doing it any harm. Linking Pakistan,

therefore, to te rrorism is most sad and deplorable. The Pakistani na on has been

rendering its sacrifices agai ns t ter ror ism per si stent l y si nce 1980. No one can find i ts

example in the world. The cursed propaganda against Pakistan is, there fore, strongly

condemned.

6. The Government of Pakistan seems to have failed completely in handling terrorism

and its elimina on. It is ther ef or e st rong l y dema nded that the Gov er nme nt shou l d

take immediate steps to implement the following sugges ons put for th by the

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Na onal Peace Conf er ence to ma ke pos si bl e an advance towa rds the imme di at e and

solid solu on of the grave pr obl em the na on i s so dis tress i ngl y f aci ng:

i. The Drone a acks mu st be brought to an end imme di atel y thr oug h al l the di pl oma c

resources, friendly countries, and other world forums and organiza ons .

ii. The an -ter ror i sm me as ures and cooper a on by the Gove rnmen t wit h t he wor l d

powers in Afghanistan in war a gainst terrorism must be made condi onal wi th

complete termina on of Dr one a acks.

iii. The current apologe c forei gn pol icy based on hel pl es snes s mu s t be repl aced wi th an

independent foreign policy based on equality, na onal honor and sel f-es teem.

iv. The Pakistani embassies in forei gn countries should be ac vat ed. The Gover nme nt

should appoint competent and patrio c peopl e in its for ei gn mi ssi ons . Paki stan

should also give a befi ng repl y agai nst the condemnab l e and nega ve propaganda

against her and her various ins tu ons.

v. Instant measures need to be taken in a daring but wise way a er ma ki ng a me cul ous

ac on pl an to ex pos e at int er na onal level the f orei gn elemen t s i nvol ved especi all y a

neighboring country’s hand in the worst type of terrorism in Pakistan.

vi. The free movement of terrorists and all means of their logis c suppor t mu s t be

intervened and ended by deploying the state machinery me l y and effec vel y.

vii. Foolproof arrangements be made to protect and safeguard the terrorists’ possible

and easy targets like government ins tu ons , reli gious and publ i c places and

gatherings and the security and safety of common man, his life and property must be

guaranteed, ascertained and ensured.

viii. The poli cal me as ur es and rel at ed me t hods shoul d be adopt ed to el imi nate ter ror i sm

from the country instead of using military power a nd opera ons .

ix. Measures should be taken on priority to eliminate unemployment, i gnorance and

poverty from the backward areas of Pakistan especially the tribal areas.

x. Measures are also required to be taken on priorit y for poli cal stabi lity in Paki stan,

free judiciary, stability o f ins tu ons , regard and e st eem o f cons tu on and one

another’s mandate, removal of dearness and price -hike, provision of immediate and

low-cost jus ce and el imi na on of every shape and f orm o f oppressi on a nd

expl oita on. Thi s wi ll ma ke pos si bl e the remo v al of al l the fac tor s res ponsi bl e to

generate terrorism.

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xi. Circumstances are being created in the provinces of Fron er and Bal uchi stan that

pose a threat to the very Federa on of Paki stan. The Gov ernme nt mu st unvei l the

conspiracies in this regard and immediate be taken to put an end to these

conspiracies.

xii. A Na onal Pol icy for the El imi na on of Terr ori sm b e f ormul ated i n the l ight of these

sugges ons and propos al s; the en re na on be t aken i n confidence and mea su r es be

ini at ed to enf or ce such a po l icy.

7. Besides the Government, the en re na on i n g ener al and t he i nfluen al and el i te

classes of society in par cul ar l y inc l udi ng the lawy ers, rel igi ous schol ars, pol i cians,

journalists, intellectuals, teachers, traders, and other organi za ons shoul d pl ay ther e

respec ve rol e effec vely in br inging t he t errori s t tendenci es t o end.

8. The media should play a responsible role towards elimina on of terror i sm. The

publicity, broadcast and telecast o f such programs and news should, there fore, be

avoided as may encoura ge some form or kind of terrorism. Media is required to keep

the na onal inter est , sol idar i ty and good name pr i or .

9. The Government, the NGOs and the welfare organiza ons eng aged in rehabi lita ons

and support of the families and people fallen vic m to ter ror i sm shoul d pl ay ther e

role most effec vel y and achi eve i nst ant resul t s.

10. The elimina on of ter ror i sm and saf ety and secur i ty agai ns t terror ism mu st be

declared No. 1 priority and all necessary measures in this re gard be taken

immediately. All the classes of society need to play their role in this regard in the

most effec ve man ner .

11. The Na onal Peace Counci l wa s establ ished to di agnos e the caus es of ter ror i sm, the

reasons of its prevalence, determine its reinforcing internal and external elements,

precisely delineate a na onal pr ogram for its el imi na on and devi se met hods for i ts

effec ve i mpl emen ta on. The cons t u on of t he Na onal Peace Counc il i s as

follows:

Chairman: Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

Members:

Jahangir Badar (Secretary General PPP), Zafar Iqbal Jhagra (Secretary General PML -N),

Mushahid Hussain Sayyid (Secretary General, PML -Q), Ihsan Waien (Sec retary Gene ral ANP),

Dr Farooq Sa ar (Convener MQ M) , Ma ul ana Amj ad (Secr etar y Inf or ma on, JUI) , Ghu l am

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Mustafa Khar (Ex. Governor Punjab), Liaqat Baloch (Vice Amir, Jamaat e Islami), Dr Raheeq

Ahmad Abbasi (Secretary Gene ral, Minhaj -ul-Quran Interna onal ), Anwa ar Akht ar Adv ocat e

(Secretary General, PAT), Ejaz Ahmad Ch. (Vice President, Tehreek e Insaf), Dr Sarfara z

Naeemi, Ib sam Ilahi Zaheer (Pr es i dent , Jami at Ah l e Hadi th) , Ha fiz Aki f Saeed ( Ami r

Tanzeem Islami), Ghulam Ahmad Bilour (Fede ral Minister Pakistan Railway), Ali Ahmad Kurd

(President Supreme Court Bar Associa on) , Sayyi d Na u Bahar Shah (Shi a Po l i cal Par ty), Dr

Majid Abel (Member Minority), Dr Awais Farooqi (Member NGO / President Focus Pakistan),

Miss Firdos Bu (Ex Pres i dent Lahor e Hi gh Cour t Bar ) , Ch. Khadi m Hu ssai n Qa i ser (Ex Vi ce

Chairman, Punjab Bar Council), Qari Zawwar Bahadur (Secretary General, JUI), Sohail

Mahmood Bu (Chai rma n, Anj uma n Taj ran Ma l l Road) , Na zi r Ahma d Chohan (Me mb er

Tajran), Dr Rafiq Ahma d (Na z ri a Paki stan Founda on) , Sayyi d Ras hi d Gar dezi (Membe r

Student / President Mu aheda Tal aba Ma haz ), Hu ma Az i z (Me mb er Wo me n / Pr es i dent

Pakistan Women Workers Federa on) , Pr of . Mu hamma d Awa n (Me mb er An j uma n Asat az a) ,

Sardar Kalyan Singh Kalyan (Member Sikh Minority/ Secretary General Guru Nanak Ji

Mission, Pakistan), Dr. Manohar Chand (Member Hindu Minority).

Note:

All other par ci pant s wi ll be the me mb er s.

All Leade rs / Secretarie s of the na ona l , pr ov i nc i al , pol i cal and r el i gious par es

regi stered with the Elec on Commi ssion of Pa ki stan ma y al so be the me mb er s.

All par es are reques ted to submi t thei r propos al wi thi n fi een days . Counc i l will

formulate a na ona l ac on plan wit hi n one mon t h on t he bas es of sugg es ons and

opinions received from all poli cal pa r es and var i ous classes of soci ety.

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Dr Muhammad T ahir-u l-Qadri’s k ey note address at “Natio nal

Peace Conferen ce”

h p: //www. mi nhaj .or g/engl ish/ d/7911

Dated: 09 April 200 9 Addressing the par ci pants and leader s of

differ ent pol i cal and r el i gious par es who

a ended the “Na onal Peace Conf e rence”

held under aegis of Minhaj-ul -Quran

Interna onal on Apr i l 9, 2009, Shaykh- ul -Isl am Dr

Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri said: “Islam is a

religion of peace and harmony. There is no need to establish it here as the Quranic

injunc ons and 1400- year hi stor y of Mu sl ims are cl ear ev i dence aut hen ca ng t his reali t y.

The Holy Quran has equated the killing of one person with the killing of en re huma ni ty and

protec on of one per son wi th the prot ec on of en re humani t y. The Holy Prophet ( saw) h as

himself described a Muslim as someone by whose hands and tongue other Muslims are not

hurt and remain safe. Leave alone unjustly killing anyone, a person using foul and immoral

language against others could not be called a Muslim.

“There is a constant talk o f peace in the en re wo r ld today and wa r on terror is bei ng

fought to establish elusive peace. There is no denying this truth that terrorists are not only

enemies of peace but also of en re huma ni ty. The peacef ul forces shoul d st rug gl e agai nst

them but the ques ons ar i se her e as to wh o fanned ter ror ism? Wh o opened thi s front ? The

situa on wa s not as vol a l e as today t en y ears ago. Whe r e have t he army of terr ori sts

appeared from all o f a sudden? Is it not likely that the global forces figh ng t err ori sm h ave

also been responsible i n c rea ng thi s mo ns ter and now the whol e wo r l d is bei ng ma de

vic m to cl as h of ci vi liza on i n t he name of est abl i shmen t of peace?

“Condemna on of terror ism is not sufficient f or the es tabl i shment of peace only. Rather real

enemies of peace should be iden fied first. The s econd i mpor t ant t hing i s that Nort hern

Areas of Pakistan, FATA, Wazirastan, and Swat have historically been known as peaceful

areas where religious-minded but simple people reside. These areas are even without basic

91

necessi es of life. Ma j or i ty of peopl e ar e poor and ear n thei r livel ihoods thr oug h day- long

labour.

“What revolu on has come about in these regi ons in a per iod of las t thr ee year s that thes e

people have turned against their country and started confron ng ar my and other secur i ty

forces? From where have arms and ammuni on come in large quan es and who i s

providing people with e xper se to take on a state and its army ? Wh o is provi di ng trai ni ng,

weapons and money to terrorists? As it is now being openly and clearly said that foreign

powers are suppor ng terror i sm, wh at rol e has our for me r and pr es ent governme nt s

including the provincial ones performed to address the problem? Why did the y allow it to

grow amidst our polity? Drone a acks have become a rou ne affa ir in the t r ibal areas of

Pakistan. The first thi ng that needs to be me n oned her e i s t hat Drone a ack cons t utes an

a ack on secur i ty and sover ei gnty of an independent count ry. Wh y di d the gover nme nt

allow the US to violate our territorial integrity and at what forum? Suppose these a acks ar e

meant to target terrorists, why has no detail o f these terrorists been published in the press?

“In the similar manner, our army stakes claim to killing scores of terrorists each day but

never has their iden ty been es tabl ished? Local peopl e ar e ge ng caught up i n the c r ossfire

between security forces and terrorists and are losing their lives for no fault of their own. The

remainder of them, who are lucky enough to be spared, get maimed and injured for life.

What type of peace is being established here? There is another noteworthy point that why

are people who are involved i n spreadi ng mischief and who have even threatened the US

many a me bei ng spar ed and not taken out by US ’ dr one hi ts? Wh y it is so that ma ny

ci zens of Paki stan have been pi cked up on me re sus pi ci on but hundr eds of peopl e livi ng in

Afghanistan and adjoining areas who are involved in open warfare have been gi ven carte

blanche to operate?

“The semi-literate leaders and commanders o f terrorist orga niza ons br i ef me di a and unvei l

their plans to target their adversaries and s ll thei r loca on i s not iden fied, which mi g ht

result in their capture in this day and a ge of satellite. These ques ons ar e br ai n- teas er for a

man with normal IQ and intelligence level. To top it all, what is ma er of mo re conc er n is the

fact that the longer the war on terror is ge ng, the mor e t err ori sm i s spreadi ng i nst ead of

ge ng eli min ated.

“This war was e xported to the t ribal re gions of Pa kistan from Afghanistan and now it is

directed at Que a, Isl ama bad, Lahore, Der a Isma i l Khan, Pes hwa r—t he ma i nl and Paki stan.

92

The situa on has reached such al ar mi ng level s that our Mo s ques , sac red pl aces , rel igi ous

ins tu ons and hospi tal s are not bei ng s par ed.

“We are, no doubt, living in cri cal and per i lous mes but our na onal habi t of b lame g ame

or being content with e xpressions of condemna on coul d not pr otec t us from thi s ragi ng fire

of e xtremism and te rrorism. Whatever be the source of a ack on our sover ei gnt y be it

external or internal, we need to formulate a serious and dynamic na onal pol icy. Ma j or

responsibility o f taking much-needed ini a ves rest s on t he gove rnmen t . Our par l i amen t

has already passed a consensus resol u on agai ns t ter ror and ther e is a need to ful ly

implement this na onal cons ens us int o pol icy frame wor k. Our na onal leader shi p i ncl udi ng

religious, poli cal and mi litary needs to ac t and ac t fas t. Some poi nt s ar e ins t ruc ve i n t hi s

regard:

We need to reassess, re-ev aluate and reformulate our foreign policy having the poten al and

dynamism to draw clear lines between our friends and foes.

We should rethink our rela onshi ps wi th Indi a, Af ghani stan and especi al ly the US in the light of

our na onal int er ests.

The tendency to look towards others for protec on of our sover ei gnt y and na onal secur i ty wil l

have to be shunned as no one including any Is lamic country would come to our rescue. Na onal

solida rity should be promoted instead as necessa ry pa rt of self-re liance ini a ve.

We need to clarify our pos i on vi s-à- vi s wa r on ter ror and appr ehensi ons of int er na ona l

community in the larger interest of durable peace by employing robust diplomacy.

Taliban have become an iden ty and repr esent a ve of a par cular r eligious mi nd set . Some

religious scholars of Pakistan regard them as their brainchild. Therefore, heavy respons ibility lies

on their shoulders to take ini a ve and mak e Tal i ban under s tand t he r eal concept of rel i gion s o

that they (Ta liban) do not end up defaming Is lam and undermining the only a tomic Is lamic sta te

by becoming s tooge in the hands of an -Paki st an el eme nt s. ”

93

First Mee ng of the Na onal Peace Counc i l

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/8432

Dated: 03 May 2009

The Na onal Peace Counci l Me e ng was hel d i n Cent r al Secretari at Min haj - ul -Qur an

Interna onal a ended by Naz i m-e -Aal a MQI Dr

Raheeq Ahmed Abbasi, Muslim League (Q)

leader Mehna z Ra fee, ANP Secy Gen Ihsan

Wain, Senior journalist I i khar Ahme d, Secy

Gen Anwaar Akhtar Advocate, Khaksar

Movement leader Hameed-ud-Din al -Mashriqi, Jawad Hamid, renowned le gal e xpe rt Khadim

Hussain, President Interna onal Commi ssi on of Hu ma n Ri ght s Sohai l Akhtar , Co l . Retd. LK

Tressler, Shia Poli cal Party Leader Sayyi d Naubhar Shah and others.

Nazim-e -Aala MQI Dr Raheeq Ahmed Abbasi brie fed the media on decisions taken in the

NPC Mee ng and answe r ed thei r ques ons . He sai d t hat Cent r al Secr etari at Min haj - ul-

Quran Interna onal wi ll be the per ma nent Sec ret ar i at of the Counci l and Mr Jawa d Hami d of

MQI will be the Secy Coordina on NPC. The leader s unani mo usl y dec i ded that 1973

Cons tu on provi des per f ect guarant ee of peace. The pol i cal l eaders hip and t he ci vi l

society, therefore, should take guidance from the 1973 Cons tu on. A c ommi ee on th is

occasion was cons tuted comp r isi ng SM Zaf ar , Ihs an Wa i n, Anwa ar Akht ar Advocat e, Ch

Khadim Hussain and Mr Sohail Akhtar.

The Commi ee wi ll prepar e recomme nda ons bas ed on s ec ons t aken f r om t h e 73

Cons tu on t hat wil l cert ai nly eli min at e all forms of expl oita on and depr i va on. That wi l l

make possible the establishment of peace. This was also decided in the mee ng that

Monthly sessions of the NPC will be held ll the for mu l a on of the na onal peace poli c y.

The next mee ng of the Counc i l wi ll be hel d at the res i dence of Pr es i dent Int er na onal

Commission of Human Rights Sohail Akhtar on 7th of June. He also told the press that

Balochistan, Fron er and Si ndh pol i cal leader s hi p wil l als o be i nvi ted t o a end t he next

mee ng in or der to take unani mo us dec i si ons at na onal level to est abl i sh peace i n t he

country. This is the collec ve res ponsi bi lity of the leader s to put an end to the sens e of

depriva on of the sma l ler pr ovi nces .

94

Dr Raheeq Ahmed Abbasi told the press that it was unanimously decided in the mee ng that

le er s wi ll be sent to Ar my Chi ef and DG ISPR aski ng them how the mo dern we apons and

funds are provided to the militants and who all are responsible to stop and control it. The

par es pr esent in the Par l iame nt wi ll rai se thi s ques on i n t he par l i amen t as wel l . He s ai d

that leaders of civil society and various NGOs will be sent invita ons to par cipat e i n t he

next mee ng of the Counci l. Thi s wa s al so dec i ded in the me e ng to l aunch campa i gn f or

contact with general public for the establishment of peace and elimina on of ter ror ism. The

NPC leaders will distribute handbills as the first step of the sai d camp ai gn.

Second mee ng of Na onal Peace Counc i l hel d at MQI Secr etari at

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/8568

Dated: 07 June 2009

National Peace C ouncil (NPC ) held its second meeting on June 7 , 2009 a t the centra l secreta ria t of

M inhaj- ul-Q uran Internationa l

Lahore under the

chairpe rsonship of Ms M ehnaz

R afi, fo rmer MNA and centra l

leade r o f Pak istan M uslim League (Q ). The participants o f the meeting included I jaz C haudhry,

central leade r o f Pak istan Tehreek-i-I nsa f, acting Nazim-e-A la o f MQ I Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz,

S ecre ta ry Genera l PAT A nwaar A khta r A dvocate , Sohail A khtar o f I nterna tional C ommission for

Hum an Rights, C oordina tor o f Na tional Peace Council Jawad Hamid, J amat-i-Islami leade r F a rid

A hmad P iracha, S yed Noubahar S hah, head o f the S hia Polit ical Party , M uhammad Ya'qub o f

Tehreek -e-K haksar, S ohail M ahmud Butt, actor F erdous J amal, C ol. (R) L .K . Tresslo r of Muslim-

C hris tian All iance , A slam Mohsin of A wami Q iyadat Party , Sardar Ranjee t Singh, Q asim A fza l and

o the r central leaders of diffe rent pa rties .

Perfo rmance report o f last meeting was put forward and disc ussed in de tail. The participants

d iscussed the de terio rating law and orde r s ituation in the country . T he central leade rs o f different

political parties demanded o f the government to es tablis h peace in the country . They s aid that

immediate steps needed to be taken in o rder to ensure the rehabil itation of Swat and M alakand

a ffectees . The participants apprecia ted M inha j- ul-Q uran I nte rnationa l fo r its initia tive to bring

d iffe rent elements o f nationa l opinion on one pla tform.

A ddressing the m ee ting, She ikh Zahid F ayyaz said that rel ig ious and political pa rties would have to

jo in the ir forces for the sake of peace and harmony in the c ounty . He s aid that MQI had establis hed

95

National Peace C ouncil unde r the instructions o f Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri.

The establis hment o f peace is now uppermost on the agenda of MQ I with the coope ration o f all

political parties. He said tha t those using te rror and s uicide bom bing fo r their ulterio r m otives had

nothing to do with Islam and the Muslims . The fo llowing decisions were taken in the mee ting a fter

mutual consulta tion:

• The government should establish ‘rehabilita on fund’ on the pa ern of reli ef fund f or the affectees of Malakand, Swat and Buner.

• Well coordina ted and effec ve pol i cy shoul d be f ormul ated f or na onal unit y and i ntegra on. Failur e in responding to the rehabilita on chal lenge wo ul d pr oduce di sastrous consequences .

• Military opera on shoul d be concl uded as ear ly as possi bl e and be accomp ani ed by effec ve poli cal strategy.

• The government should provide all poss ible resources for safe and secure return of refugees and their return and rehabilita on shoul d imme di at el y be ma de possi bl e.

• Terrorists could use the disaffec on and dis appoi ntmen t amon g t he affectees and use i t as a weap on against the government.

• Aid should be made available to the affectees at thei r tent s respec tabl y and those livi ng out of camp s and in homes should also be taken care of.

• Full a en on s houl d be pai d t o t he a id and suppor t of over five hundred mi no ri t y famil i es l ocated around Hasanabda l Temple.

• Steps should be made for establishment of peace in the tribal reg ion so that the affectees shoul d go back home.

• The affect ees shoul d be se led i n cool areas i nst ead of hot ones and s teps shoul d i mme d i a tely be taken for ensuring maximum protec on agai nst scor chi ng heat .

• Transfer of power to the provinces as promised in Cons tu on 1973 c oul d go a l ong way i n eradica ng the feel ings of depr i va on amon g the provi nces. Thi s wou l d be hel pful in t he establishment of peace and e limina on of separ a st tendenci es.

• The power to legislate on concurrent list should preferably be invested in the provinces and the ar cl es contai ned in thi s list regar di ng pr ovi nci al right s shoul d be imp l eme nt ed for thwi th.

• New Finance Commission should be announced as demanded by the Cons tu on and max i mum grants-in-a id should be given to provinces.

• Rights of the triba l region as men oned by the Cons tu on shoul d be g i ven i mmed i at el y and problems of these areas should be resolved through cons tu onal reforms and t ransfer of power .

The nex t mee ting o f Nationa l Peace C ouncil would be he ld on J une 25, 2009 in the central

secretariat o f M inha j- ul-Q uran I nternationa l in which leaders of diffe rent po litica l pa rties would

participa te. T he meeting would d iscuss and identify the major causes o f terro rism and work out

contours of national s trategy aga ins t te rrorism based on consensus and in accordance with our

national aspirations . The mee ting concluded with Dua .

96

Meeting of National Peace Council under MQI

h p: //www. mi nha j .or g/engl ish/ d/8 814

Dated: 20 August 2 009

The mee ng of Na onal Peace Counc i l was hel d on August 20, 2009 i n t he cent r al secretari at

of Minhaj -ul-Quran Interna onal .

MQM’s central leader Senator Col. (R) Tahir Mash hadi presided over

the mee ng, wh er eas Nawab Shah

Zain Bug , pr es i dent of Jamh or i

Watan Party (Balochistan cha pter)

was the special guest on the

occasion. Other par ci pant s inc l uded Mu ni r Ahma d Khan (PPP) , Ehs an Wa i n (ANP) , Ma hnaz

Rafi (PML -Q) , Shei kh Zahi d Fayyaz (MQ I ), Anwa r Ak ht ar Advocat e (PAT) , Hame ed- ud- Di n

Mashriqi (Khakhsar Tehreek), Sohail Akhtar Malik (Human Ri ghts Commission of Pa kistan),

Adeeb Javadani (senior j ournalist), Aslam Mohsin (Awami Qa yadat Party), Aleena Tiwana,

Khawaja Muhammad Junaid (former Olympian), Muhammad Jawad Hamid (Coordinator of NPC), Bilal Mustafavi and other representa ves of di fferent pol i cal par es.

All par ci pant s agreed that al l pr obl ems fac i ng the feder a on wou l d be r esol ved i f the

federal government would gi ve provi ncial autonomy to the provinces in line with the

provisions of the Cons tu on. The mee ng expr es sed i t s compl e t e unani mi ty on t he need t o

abolish concurrent list and empower provinces to undertake le gisla on on the subj ect s contained in it.

The par ci pants dema nded of the gov ernme nt to opt for neg o a ons i nstead of mili tary

opera on to find s ol u on t o the pr obl em of Balochi stan. Such f actors as pove r ty and a rea

should also be considered seriously at the me of dec l ar i ng new NF C Awa rd in addi on t o

the popula on cr iter i on. The pr ovi nces ’ ri ght over thei r resour ces shoul d al so be conceded and their royalty be given in me . Ur gent me as ur es shoul d be taken for the crea on of

harmony among the federa ng uni ts. Spec i al a en on s houl d be paid to the eradi ca on of

poverty and backwardness, which are the major cause behind the prolifera on of terror ism.

The minori es shou l d be gi ven comp l et e pr ot ec on s o t hat there i s no r epeat of Goj ra-l ike

incidents.

Addressing the mee ng, Shah Zai n Bug sai d t hat the Qua i d-e-Azam p romi s ed compl ete

provincial autonomy to the provinces and the 1973 Cons tu on a lso envi saged t he s ame.

Every province has complete control over its resources but it is the unfortunate province of

97

Balochistan which has been kept deprived of its resources. He said that all o f us would have

to play our due role to save Pakistan.

Senator Tahir Mash`hadi demanded of the government to end the military opera on in the

res ve pr ovi nce of Bal ochi stan, find l as ng s olu ons t o the probl ems of unempl oy ment and

poverty, and guarantee minori es of the pr ot ec on of thei r right s as promi s ed by Qua i d-e-

Azam.

Secretary General PAT, Anwar Akhtar Advocate, said in his talk that the Na onal Peace Council was playing important and posi ve rol e in the soc i et y. He sai d that the trans f er of

rights to the provinces would end their feelings o f depriva on. Na onal Finance Commi s si on

should be formed on the basis of poverty, area, and income genera on in addi on t o t he

poverty factor. Othe r ins tu ons l ike Counc i l of Commo n I nte rest and Na onal Economi c

Council should also be ac vated to pl ay thei r rol e effec vely i n the pr omo o n of na onal integrity.

98

All-Pakistan Mashaykh Conference

h p: //www. mi nhaj .or g/engl ish/ d/7742

M inhaj- ul-Q uran International o rganized an All-

Pak istan Mashaykh C onference in the c entra l

sec reta riat in M odel Town on M arch 3, 2009 ,

a ttended by more than 300 religious schola rs,

Mashaykh and P irs from across Pak istan. T he

participants regarded the conduct o f this

conference t imely fo r el imination o f extrem ist

and terrorist att itudes, protection o f teachings

o f S ufis and Islam ic mysticism, revival o f

re ligious and sp iritual va lues and the sa feguarding o f Islamic be liefs . The Mashaykh jointly

condemned the terrorist attack on the S ri Lankan C ricke t team in Lahore and c alled it an attack on

Pak istan. The prominent scho la rs and P irs from among those who attended the c onfe rence included

Dewan B akhtiar Syed Muhammad C hishti from Pakpattan Sharif, Sa jjada Nas heen B haira S harif

S ahibzada A min-ul-Has naat, Sa jjada Nasheen Dhangri Sharif Azad Kas hmir P ir A ttique-ur-R ahman,

M oinee-ud-D in Koure ja, P ir S yed Kha lil-ur-R ehm an C hishti, P ir M ohi- ud-Din Mahboob, Sahibzada

Habib Nawaz, P ir Ghulam Rizwani Ji lani, P ir M akhdoom Nadeem Hashmi, P ir Muneer Zak ri,

M akhdoom W ali Muhammad, Ha ji G hulam Rasool Naqas hbandi Q adri Saifi, P ir F aiz S hahid Faizi,

M akhdoom M uhammad A hsan, Ghulam M ujataba Noori, Syed Zia-ul-Haq Gilani, Khan Wa li Q adri,

P ir G hulam Das tigir Tougee rv i, B ade r Mohi- ud-Din Gilani, P ir Sanaullah Taib i Bokhari, Sahibzada Pir

Syed Sa jjad Shah Bokhari, P ir Faiz- ul-H assan S hah and othe rs.

A ddressing the c onfe rence, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri s aid tha t Islam was a

re ligion o f peace and harmony. C onserva tism , te rrorism and fundamentalism had nothing to do

with Islam. Today ’s M ashaykh C onfe rence condemned these negative a tt itudes a t every level in the

strongest possib le words . H e

said tha t the Sufis changed

destiny o f m il lions o f people the

through the ir character and

popularizing the ideas o f by

love , peace and s ecurity .

They made diffe rent

societies the hub of peace

through the ir endeavours .

He sa id M ashaykah and P irs were p laying the ir centra l ro le in promoting the peaceful a tt itudes in

society.

He sa id that there was need to do more because the country was caught in the fire o f worst kind o f

te rro rism and conspiracies were being ha tched to de fame Islam and Pakistan. D r Muhammad

Tahir- ul-Q adri said that this big gathering o f Mashaykh indicated the fact that the s piritual centres

99

in the country wanted peace and sec urity . M inha j-ul-Q uran I nte rnationa l would form ula te s uch a

system o f s piritua l tra ining with the c ons ulta tion and guidance o f Mashaykh as would be

instrumental in foste ring spiritua l values in s ocie ty and would help es tablish durable peace in

Pak istan.

He sa id that it has been decided to fo rmula te a one- year course for spiritual tra ining which would

contain such ingredients as lectures o f the

Ho ly Q uran, H adith, moral, spiritua l and

schola rly aspec ts o f Islam. This would have

positive and deep impact on the socie ty . It

has also been decided that rea l sp iritualism

would be promoted by doing away with

excesses and evil customs . The Pirs and

re ligious scholars would play their role in

spearheading these effo rts .

D r M uhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri said that it was also agreed that s piritual training o f women was as

important as tha t o f men. He said the C onference als o agreed that s piritual values would have to

be revived in society to correct the moral disorde r and c haos and P irs and M ashaykh would p lay

their role in the prom otion o f these values. He sa id that only sp iritual H ouseholds c ould s tee r c lear

the ship o f society, which was caught in the unc harte red waters of mate rial ism and today’s

M ashaykh C onfe rence was witness to the fac t that s piritual pers onalit ies were aware of their

responsib ilit ies. He s aid that Mashaykh C onferenc e a lso agreed that s ocie ty needed to be equipped

with modern, contem porary education in addition to rel ig ious one s o tha t re ligious schola rs could

be able to respond to challenges facing Islam successfully.

Text of joint Communiqué adopted at All-Pakistan Mashaykh Conference

The participants o f A ll-Pakistan M ashaykh C onfe rence c omprising rel igious schola rs , intellectua ls ,

spiritualists and Mashaykh, organized by M inha j-ul-Q uran International on M arc h 3 , 2009, agreed

that practical steps needed to be taken to fo il the attem pts a imed a t debunk ing the peaceful

message of S ufis and promoting anti-mysticism ideo logies in the wake o f present na tional and

inte rnational situation.

The participants showed their complete consens us over the following points in the jo int

communiqué:

1 . The C onfe rence condemned terrorism and extremism in a ll its fo rms and manifestations taking

p lac e anywhere in the world including Pakistan and it was res olved that S ufis & M ashaykh

would play their role in prom oting Islam ’s message o f love, peace and brothe rhood throughout

the world.

2 . The participants vowed to work out a re fo rmation strategy fo r al l chains o f s piritualism and fo r

restoration o f ‘K hankahi’ system.

3 . It was decided to establish M ysticism Research C entre aimed at res ponding to the objections

ra ised against the Sufis and prom oting the mystic teachings in the l ight o f teachings of past

mystics and spiritualists .

100

4 . The confe rence also dec ided to establish rel ig ious centres in al l the M azars and ‘Khankahs’ and

the institutions run by MQI would make a rrangements fo r special meetings o f S ahibzadgans

and respected P irs.

5 . The confe rence vowed to take practical steps in orde r to do away with negative trad it ions ,

customs and excesses in the convents. A supervisory committee comprising effec tive and

influential Mashaykh would a lso be es tablished in this regard.

6 . A Contact Group comprising relig ious schola rs and s piritualists would be established to oversee

the im plementation o f the above-mentioned aims and objec tives .

7 . The confe rence also dec ided to bring into ma instream the centres o f Ahl-e-S unna working fo r

promotion o f education and imparting training ind iv idua lly.

8 . It was also resolved to fo rmulate such a com prehensive s yllabus for rev ival o f ‘khankahi’

system as would mak it easie r fo r the genera l people to fol low the teachings of Sufis .

9 . It was also decided to hold workshops fo r im parting training and education to the people

associated with S hrines, Darbars and other re ligious places.

10. The participants decided to es tablish good, s tandard ized l ibraries in o rde r to mee t the need o f

re fe rence and researc h work .

11. It was also decided to establish groups fo r D hikr & D urood keeping in view the system o f

training o f d ifferent sp iritual c ha ins.

12. The confe rence decided to promote D awa work based on re fo rmatory and preac hing ways o f

S ufis in s hrines and Darbars . Special arrangements for educa tion and spiritua l training o f

women would be made and prio rity would be given to the problems o f people .

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Scholarly contributions of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri lauded

h p: //www. mi nhaj .or g/engl ish/ d/7619

Minhaj-ul-Quran Ulama Council

organized a pres gi ous semi nar

tled Int el lec tual & Schol ar l y

Services of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-

Qadri in connec on wi th

celebra ons ma r ki ng the bi rth

anniversary of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr

Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri in the Hamdard Hall, Lahore. Central Amir of MQI, Sahibzada

Miskin Faiz-ur-Rahman Durrani presided over the seminar. Allama Sahibzada Muhammad

Shahzad Mujadadi, Allama Ha fiz Khan Mu hamma d Qa dr i , Dr Syed Jami l-ur -Rahma n Chi sh ,

Allama Imdadullah Khan, Shaykh-ul-Hadith Allama Mu i Gul Ahma d Ai qi and Hafiz

Muhammad Akber were the guests o f honour at the occasion.

Nazim-e -Ala Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi and Naib Nazim-e-Ala Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz a ended it

on special invita on. Di rector Forei gn Affair s G M Mal i k, Amee r - e-Punj ab Ahmed Nawaz

Anjum, Allama Mir Asif Akber, Allama Muhammad Usman Sialvi, Allama Mumtaz Hussain

Siddique, Deputy Secretary General Pakistan Awani Tehreek Sohail Ahmad Raza, Director

Events Mana gement Sajid Bha and other s wer e a lso pre sent at the occasi on.

Sahibzada Muhammad Hussain Azad conducted the proceedings of the programme. Central

Nazim Ulama Council Allama Syed Farhat Hussain Shah delivered the welcome address.

The dis ngui shed rel igi ous schol ar s thr ew light on the di fferent aspec t s of the pers onal i ty of

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. New research and scholarly work of Shaykh-

ul-Islam “Faith in the final ity of Pr ophet hood” wa s al so i naugurat ed at thi s occasi on. The

speakers par cul ar l y me n oned the sal i ent feat ures of thi s book and cal l ed i t the bes t shi eld

for protec on of the sanc ty of the Prophet hood.

Renowned religious scholar, Allama Sahibzada Muhammad Shahzad Mujadadi, said in his

speech that there was a trend of research in wri ngs but Dr Mu hamma d Tahi r-ul -Qa dr i had

performed a pioneer work of crea ng a trend of research in speech as we l l. Doc tor Qadr i has

102

drawn authen ci ty from the Ho l y Qur an for everythi ng . Hi s speech has the touch of

revela on, wh i ch wa s not possi bl e wi thout spi ritual as censi on to the Gnos c truths.

The renowned spea ker Allama Ha fiz Khan Mu hamma d Qa dr i sai d in hi s addr ess that the

books no doubt made one learn the methods of research but not the passion for research as

it was the product of e xtreme love and a achme nt . No doubt Dr Mu hamma d Tahi r- ul -Qadr i

possessed both knowledge and intui on. Comme n ng on Shaykh- ul- I slam’ s book, he s ai d

that Doctor Qadri put a seal of confirma on on t he i ssue of finali t y of P rophet hood by

quo ng 129 Qur ani c Ver ses and over 200 tradi ons .

Spiritualist Dr Syed Jamil-ur-Rehman Chish comp ared Dr Mu hamma d Tahi r- ul -Qadr i’s

transla on “I rfan- ul -Qur an” wi th ot her transl a ons of the Hol y Qur an and des cr i bed i ts

salient features that dis ng ui shed it from other trans l a ons . He s ai d t hat I rfan- u l-Qur an was

a great scholarly masterpiece having the added quality o f e xegesis. Dis ngui shed rel igi ous

scholar, Prof Allama Abdul Rehman Bokhari, said in his speech on the topic of Dr Muhammad

Tahir -ul-Qadri and promo on of the Pr ophe c l ove ( saw) that the greatness of Dr

Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri lay in his work, not in tl es becaus e he ma de the st ruggl e for

strengthening of rela onshi p wi th the Hol y Pr ophet (saw) and hi s mi ssi on. That

accomplishment of Doctor Qadri dis ngui shes hi m from hi s cont emp or ar ies .

He said Pakistan was achieved for the enforcement of Islamic system. Allama Iqbal dreamed

it, Quaid-e-Azam realized it while Imam Ahmad Raza Khan protected the religious beliefs and

promoted the rela ons hi p wi th the Ho l y Pr ophet (saw) . If a personal ity emb odi es the

collec ve wo r k of these thr ee personal i es, it i s no one other than S haykh-u l- Islam D r

Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri. He would prove to be a saviour in the sub-con nent becaus e

Allah Almighty carved out sub-con nent for the pr ot ec on of rel i gious bel i efs .

Prof Muhammad Ahmad Awan, Mu i Abdul Qa yyaum Khan Haz arvi , Dr Al i Akbar Qa dr i and

others also a ddressed the seminar. Allama Mir Asi f Akbar, Allama Muhammad Usman Sialvi,

and Allama Mumtaz Hussain Siddique orga nized the seminar ve ry well.

103

MQI Denmark holds grand Mawild-un-Nabi Peace

March (SAW)

h p: //www. mi nhaj .or g/engl ish/ d/7758

Minhaj-ul-Quran Interna onal Denma r k

arranged a grand Mawild-un-Nabi Peace March

(SAW) that started off from the MQ I cent re in

Copenhagen. In addi on to the associ at es and

workers of MQI and its various branches, a large

number of Muslims and representa ves of ot her

Islamic organiza ons al so took par t in the Peace

March. Minhaj-ul-Quran Youth League played central role in the successful conduct o f

March, whereas Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League and Women Youth League showed

exemplary performance in terms of its a endance.

Hafiz Zaheer Ahma d Qa dr i reci ted the Hol y Qur an to ini ate t he proceedi ngs of the

programme. The par ci pant s of pr oces si on we r e chan ng slogans on thei r way . The

intensity of heat was punctured with the heat of zeal and zest o f par ci pant s.

A special bus was arranged for the elderly women, children and men. It was decorated with

differ i ng sayi ngs of the Hol y Pr ophet . The atmo spher e of the proces si on wa s el ect ri c and it

appeared as if the blessings of the Holy Prophet (saw) had engulfed it.

The arrangement of such a procession was a unique and novel e vent o f its kind. The local people and Muslim community liked it ve ry much. In addi on to Paki stani commu ni ty, Muslims from other communi es too ma de part of the pr oces si on. Qai ser Na j eeb thank ed all the par ci pant s

104

Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League protests the incident of gir l’s floggi ng

h p: //www. mi nha j .or g/eng l ish/ d/7876

Dated: 04 Apri l 2009

Hundreds of women belonging to Minhaj-ul -Quran Women League hel d a protest

demonstra on in front of the Lahor e Pr es s

Club on April 4, 2009 a gainst public lashing

of a girl in Swat. The protesters

condemned this reprehensible, cruel and

immoral act in the strongest possible

words. Women were hol ding placards a nd

demanded of the government to bring the

perpetrators of this crime to jus ce. Cent ral WL pr es i dent , Fa ma Mas h’ hadi and Cent r al

Nazima WL Sumaira Rafaqat Advocate led the procession.

Addressing the par ci pants, Fa ma Mas h’ hadi sai d that thi s i nci dent had s hamed t he en re

Pakistani na on. Those who we r e invol ved in flogg i ng t he g ir l had not hing to do wit h I slam.

Their version of religion was bri nging both Pa kistan and Islam into disrepute. She asked the

gove rnment to deal with these criminals with iron hands. She said other incidents that

demeaned women were a slur on the society. “Islam has given hi gh status to women in her

differ ent rol es as daught er , mo t her , wi fe and si ster but the so- cal led champ i ons of Isl am

were hell-bent to defame Islam through their i gnorant ac vi es, ” she s ai d.

Fa ma Ma sh’ hadi sai d that Isl am wa s al l about peace, har mo ny and lov e in soc i ety and thos e

opposed to these humane values did not deserve any concession at all. The perpet rators of

this crime do not know what results their ac ons hav e pr oduced and wh at

misunderstandings had been created in the minds of rest of the world about Islam. She said

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul-Qadri was making his utmost effor ts to pr omo t e the

real and peaceful face of Islam and his teachings could be useful in ge ng r id of such

problems.

Sumaira Rafa qat Advocate said in her speech that Islam gave equal rights to women as their

male counterparts and the high sta ons that a wo ma n occupi es in Isl ami c soci et y does not

find any ma t ch in We st . She sai d that the wh ol e huma ni ty wa s as hame d of the cruel ty

commi ed in Swa t . A handf ul of ex tremi st s we re bent on def ami ng Isl am thr oug h thei r

poisonous ideology. Ayesha Shabbir also spoke at the occasion.

105

Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League take out “Istehkam-e-Pakistan Rally” Rally at the Mall

788h p: //www. mi nhaj .or g/engl ish/ d/8

Dated: 11 August 2009

M inha j- ul-Q uran W omen League

organized “Istehkam-e-Pakistan

R ally” on A ugust 11, 2009 at the

M all. H undreds of wom en and

children took part in the ral ly . The

children were carry ing Pak istani flags

and p laca rds with “Long L ive

Pak istan” written on them . They also

presented na tional songs during the

course of the ral ly . The ra lly started

from M asjida-e-S huhda and ended in

front of the P unjab A ssembly Hall.

Ms Fa tima M ash’hadi, centra l president o f M inha j-ul-Q uran W omen League, s aid while addressing

the rally tha t the creation o f unity within our ranks was an important step fo r foi ling anti-sta te

conspiracies and strengthening the fede ration. The circumstances demanded that we ros e above

our associations and demonstra ted unity fo r sec urity of the country .

In he r address to the “Istehkam-e-Pakistan Rally ” a t The Mall the other day , Ms Fatima Mash’hadi

said tha t the diffe rence o f op inion and po litical d issent was the beauty o f democ racy . We needed to

respect each other’s viewpo int and e lim inate hatred because we are all Pakistanis. S he emphasized

the importance o f promoting peace , love and brothe rhood in our ranks because this was the power

by arm ing ourse lves with we could progress and advance . She said that both Islam and the

Pak istani law condemned te rrorism and it should be elim ina ted in a ll its forms and manifestations.

“Islam is a re lig ion o f peace , mercy , ha rmony and equa lity and we need to turn to the teac hings of

our beloved H oly Prophe t (S .A .W ) for guidance under these precarious condit ions,” she held.

C entral Sec re ta ry Genera l, M iss Sum aira Ra faqat Advoca te said in he r speech that no individuals

could be allowed to take law in their hands. The m inorities should be pro tec ted a t a ll cos t. The

cause o f nationa l so lida rity c ould be advanced if both people and the government worked in unison.

Pay ing glowing tribute to Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad T ahir-ul-Q adri, Ms Sumaira R a faqa t sa id

that Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Tahir-ul-Q adri prom oted true image of Islam in accordance with the

demands of the contemporary age. T he re was need o f across the board and impartial

accountabil ity in the country . “I f transparent accountability is c onducted, the way could be paved

fo r s trong Pakis tan,” she opined.

106

S he regre tted tha t women were being pe rsecuted in the country in the nam e o f honour and the

gove rnment was not ab le to c heck s uch incidents . S he sa id Islam gave comprehensive rights to

women. M iss Sumaira Ra faqat A dvocate urged the womenfolk to jo in MWL to work fo r restoration

o f women rights and achieve their histo rica l goa l of peace, harmony , equality and justice in the

society. Ms A yes ha S habbir, president o f MWL L ahore c hapte r and M s A nee la Doager also

addressed the ra lly.

Minhaj Welfare Founda on sends relief goods worth Rs. 3 million for Swat IDPs

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/8482

Dated: 14 May 2009

The first caravan of trucks carryi ng rel ief

goods worth Rs. 3 million was sent to

Mardan by Minhaj Welfare Founda on on

13th May, 2009. The consignment included

eatables, blankets, shoes, beds, clothes,

medicines and tents. Talking to the media at

the occasion of departure of trucks, Dr

Shahid Mahmood, director of Minhaj Welfare Founda on, sai d that MQ I wa s busy ser vi ng

humanity da y in and day out without any discrimina on of rel igi on, col our and race. Be it

Tsunami in Indonesia, earthquake in Kashmir, NW FP and Iran, destruc on wr ought by

floods , or rehabi lita on of the Mal akand affectees, MWF i s there to help the s uffer ing

humanity in hour of trial and tribula ons.

Dr Shahid said that Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul -Qadri has issued special

instruc ons to pr ovi de ever y possi bl e hel p and rel ief to our br et hren of Ma l akand Di vi si on

displaced by ongoing military ac on agai ns t the ter ror i st s. Rel ief goods wo r th Rs . 3 mi llion

are being immediately dispatched as first cons i gnme nt wi th mu ch mo re to fol low in we eks

to come.

He sa id that relief camps were set up in differ ent pa r ts of Paki st an wher e hundr eds of wo r ker s wer e

busy collec ng dona ons and r eli ef goods. The MQI chapt ers around t he wor l d wer e a ls o wor k ing

hard to contribute to the maximum in this regard. Director of Welfare Founda on vowe d to stand by

the na on in ever y hour of sufferi ng. He s ai d t hat serv ice of human i ty was the t opmos t mo o of t he

Founda on. I ikhar Shah Bukhari , Mia n Tahi r Yaqub, Bil al Mus t afavi and S hamee m Numbe r dar wer e

also present a t the occasion.

107

Interfaith Dialogue — A Peace Mechanism Peace through promo ng and pr ot ec ng min or i ty

rights

Some of the recent ac vi es.

View the link below for up to date ac vi tes

h p: //www. mc df .inf o/en. php

108

Islam and Minori es

h p: //www. mi nhaj .or g/engl ish/ d/8758

Dated: 09 August 2009 By Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri

Words fail to e xpress the feelings o f horror and grief one experienced while watching the scenes of mayhem, destruc on of home s and the bur ni ng of seven peop l e al ive on TV

channels in the Gojra city o f Punjab. What made it all the more poignant was the fact that

people, inspired by religious fervour and egged on by the so-called religious clerics ha ving

half-baked understanding of Islam, were doi ng everything our great religion condemned and ordained its followers against. Thus through their ac ons , these peopl e brought a bad name

not only to Pakistan but also Islam. Displaying sheer ignorance of Islamic teachings, they

handed down a j us fica on t o those el ement s who a re, otherwi se , bent on demoni z i ng

Islam by invoking such incidents as the representa on of what Isl am stands for . It is hi gh

me we int rospec ted oursel ves and we nt back to the teachi ng s of Isl am vi s- à- vi s mi nor i es.

Islam espouses values of universal brothe rhood, tolerance and mutually peaceful

coe xistence ordaining its followers to be the source of peace for people around them. It aims

at the establishment of such an ideal state and society where all ci zens , irrespec ve of thei r

associa on, rel igi ous iden ty, race, col our and c reed, enj oy t he s imil ar right s and equal i ty i n

the eyes of law. The Qur’anic injunc on “Ther e is no comp ul si on in Di n (Rel igi on) ” (2: 256) negates the element of coe rcion and oppression i n religious ma er s and for ms the bas i s for

protec on of ri ght s of mi nor i es. At anot her place, All ah Almig hty says i n t he Hol y Qur ’ an:

“(So) you have your Din (Religion) and I have my Din (Religion)” (109:6 ).

The importance and sanc ty of right s Isl am gi ves to mi nor i es can be f urt her gauged by the

saying of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him): “Beware! If anyone dared oppress a member of minority community or usurped his ri ght or tortured him more than his

endurance or took something away forcibly without his consent, I would fight (agai nst such

Muslim) on his behalf on the Day of Judgment.” (Sunan Abi Dawud)

This is not merely a warning but has the sanc ty of a law, wh i ch wa s pr omu l gat ed in the

Islamic state during the blessed pe riod of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) but which also con nued to be imp l eme nted in the later per iod and is s l l a par t of

cons tu on of Islami c state. The Hol y Prophet (blessi ngs and peace be upon him) woul d

always forewarn Muslims about the rights of the minori es. Wh i le tal ki ng of mi nor i es one

day, he said: “Whosoever killed a member of a minority community, he would not smell the

fragrance of paradise though fragrance of paradise would cover the distance of forty years.” (Bidiyat -ul-Mujtahid )

109

Whenever the non-Muslim delega ons wo ul d come to the Hol y Prophet (bl essi ngs and

peace be upon him), he would extend them hospitality himself. Once a Chris an del ega on

from Abyssinia came over to meet the Prophet of Islam (blessings and peace be upon him) in

the blessed cit y of Madina, he took it upon himself to play host to the guests and made them

stay in the Prophet’s Mosque. He said: “These people occupy dis ngui shed and pr i vi leged

status for our companions, therefore, I chose to e xtend them respect and hospitality

myself.” (Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa an-Nihaya)

Likewise, another 14-member Chris an del ega on f rom N ij ran came t o t he hol y cit y of

Madina. The Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) made the delega on stay in

the Prophet’s Mosque and allowed the Chris ans of the del ega on t o wor shi p accord ing to

their religion in the Prophet’s Mosque. (Ibn Sad, at-Tabqat al-Kubra)

Such was the deep and penetra ng imp ac t of the Hol y Pr ophet ’ s good treat me nt of the minori es that thei r int erac on wit h him was also bas ed on r espec t and r everenc e. Whe n a n

ally Jew was about to die during a ba l e, peop l e as ked hi m about the pos si bl e hei r to hi s

huge property, he said that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) would be

guardian of his property. This speaks volumes of the reverence the Prophet of Islam

(blessings and peace be upon him) had in the eyes of the non-Muslims.

Imam Abu Yusuf writes in his magnum opus Kitab al-Khiraj that both Muslims and non-

Muslim minori es we re treated equal ly in res pec t of ci vi l law and law of pun i shme nts dur i ng

the Prophe c per iod and that of the ri ght l y gui ded cal iphs . Once a Mu sl im ki lled a non-

Muslim during the period of the Holy P rophet (blessings and peace be upon him). He

ordered the killing of that Muslim by way of qisas and said: “ The protec on of ri ght s of non-

Muslims is my most important duty.” (Musnad ash-Shafi‘i)

In the like manner, the status of a Muslim and a non-Muslim is equal in civil law in an Islamic

state. The non-Muslim would also deserve the same punishment which would be meted out

to a Muslim in case of commi al of cr ime s . Wh et her a non- Mu s l im steal s thi ngs of a Mu sl im

or otherwise, both would deserve the equal amount of punishment. No discrimina on can be allowed in their treatment in the e yes of law.

Contrary to the teachi ngs of Islam and the sayings of the Hol y Prophet (blessings and peace

be upon him), our actual conduct is shameful to put it mildly, which is responsible for

bringing Islam into disrepute. No sane Muslim can approve and condone such reprehensible

acts as witnessed in Gojra. It is a ma er of imme ns e concern as to how a sma l l mi nor i ty of bigoted and radical Mullahs can hold swa y over ignorant people and make them dance to

their tune without any fear of reprisal from state and its law enforcement agencies.

While the administra ve fai lur e to ni p evi l in the bud ma y be bl ame d for the out br eak of

riots in the short -run, colossal havoc these happeni ngs caused is a reflec on of how

110

extremism has penetrated our a tudes and s oci al behavi our s . The s tate cannot all ow t his

situa on to wo r sen by adop ng pas s i ve and reac ve respons e. I t needs t o i ni ate ac on to

undo the damage it di d when it promoted and co-opted a par cul ar rel igi ous mi nds et at the

cost of social equilibrium, reli gious tolerance a nd sectarian harmony. At a me when we

need to reach out to other faiths in a bid to enga ge them in construc ve di al ogue ai me d at

findi ng sol u ons to t he cont empo ra ry probl ems , such a ct s prove onl y counterproduc ve. I n

the next ar cl e, I wo ul d di scuss the pecul iar natur e of ri ght s mi nor i es enj oy i n a n I slami c state.

This ar cl e wa s publ ished in Da i ly The Na on, 09 Aug, 2009

111

Rights of minori es in Isl am

h p: //www. mi nha j .or g/engl ish/ d/8 850 Dated: 26 August 2 009

This ar cl e wa s publ ished in Da i ly The Na on, 26 Aug, 2009

by Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul-Qadri

Following a flurry of unf ortunat e inc i dents that invol ved ma s s scal e per secu on of the

Chris an commu ni ty in Goj ra and the mi srepr esenta on of the r el i gious t eachi ngs, i t i s high

me we ini ated i ntel l ect ual dis cour se a imed at i den f ying the f a ctors, whic h l e d to this

tragedy. The principal purpose behind this exercise should be to fashion a cohesive and comprehensive strategy to educate masses about the real teachings of Islam and preempt

any similar untoward incident in future. It is also of equal importance to seek input of the

representa ves of al l school s of thoug ht and ot her sec ons of soci ety l ike j our nal i sts,

intellectuals, civil society ac vi st s, lawy ers and pr of es sor s et c. Ideal ly, the Isl ami c Ideol ogy

Council is well suited to spearhead this ini a ve and g ive i t i ns tu onali sed bas e f or the produc on of effec ve re sul t s . The s e cond phas e of s uch an ar rangement may be geared to

engage the minori es livi ng wi thi n Paki stan in a cons t ruc ve d ialogue aimed at all ayi ng thei r

apprehensions and fears.

I am of the considered opinion that the long-term solu on to such pr obl ems lies in changi ng

the mindset through sustained engagement and projec on of real teachi ngs of Isl am so that no bigoted mullah, having a limited understanding of Islam, could e xpl oit the religious

feelings of people for ulterior mo ves .

Islam seeks to establish such a society whe re all ci zens of the state enj oy equal ri ght s and

religion does not become the basis for any discrimina on. Isl ami c law ho l ds bot h Mu sl ims

and non-Muslims equal and no superiorit y or privilege is given to the Muslims on any ground. The history of Islam is replete with such e xamples. Once, a Muslim, who was

accused of killing a non-Muslim, was presented in the court of Hazrat Ali (ra). The evidence

supported the accusa on. Wh en Ha z rat Al i or der ed the Mu s l im to be ki lled by wa y of qi sas ,

the rela ves of the mu r der er ma de the br ot her of the ki lled forgi ve by payi ng hi m the

compensa on mo ney . Wh en the Cal iph came to know of it, he as ked, "Perhaps thes e peop l e may have coerced you into saying so." To this, he replied in the nega ve, sayi ng that the

killing would not bring his brother back. Since they were paying him blood money, it would

help the family financ i al ly to some extent . The Cal iph agr eed to the deal but added that the

principle underlying the func oni ng of hi s gov ernme nt wa s "the bl ood of those of our non-

Muslim subjects is equal to our blood and his blood money is like our blood money." (Abu Yusuf, Kitab-ul-Khiraj, p. 187)

112

Secondl y, e very member of an Islamic society is e n tl ed to pr i vacy and personal life. No one

can be allowed to enter his house or inter fere in his ma ers wi thout hi s cons ent . The

minori es enj oy simi lar right s in an Isl ami c stat e as the Mu sl ims do. It is the fundame nt al

principle of Islamic law that it e njoins the similar rights and du es on bot h Mu s l im and non-

Muslim ci zens wi thout any di scrimi na on.

Thirdl y, Islam ordains people to worship Allah Almighty but it does not coerce followe rs o f

other religions to accept Islam and change their creed. Invita on to trut h and us e of coerci on are mutually exclusive reali es . The Hol y Qur an has commu ni cat ed the Isl ami c me s sage of

truth in these words: "(O Glorious Messenger! ) Invite towards the path of your Lord with

strategic wisdom and refined ex hor ta on a nd ( als o) argue wit h t hem i n a mos t decent

manner. Surely your Lord knows him well who strayed away from His path and He also

knows well the rightly guided." (16 :125)

Islam has strictly disallowed the adop on of such me t hod of invi ta on, whi ch affects the

religious independence of the other party. Allah Almighty says at another place: "The re is no

coercion in religion. Verily, guidance has manifestly been dis ngui shed from er ror . " (2: 256)

Fourthly, the non-Muslim minori es ar e free to under take any busi ness ent er pr i se or

profession in an Islamic state like their Muslim counterparts and no restric on can be imposed upon them in this regard . However, those businesses, which are collec vel y

injurious for the society, would be completely prohibited both for the Muslims as well as the

non-Muslims. The minori es ar e al so free to adopt any pr of es si on they like. They wo ul d al so

be subject to same trade-related ta xa on as the Mu s l ims .

Fi hl y, as it is the res ponsi bi lity of the Isl ami c stat e to pr ovi de for the di sabl ed or the poor or the des tute or the ol d, in the same wa y, it is al so under obl iga on t o pay f or the

maintenance of a member of the minority community in case of his disability, old a ge or

poverty. Minori es enj oy equal ri ght s in ter ms of col lec ve mai ntenance i n a n I slami c state.

According to a tradi on reported by Abu 'Ubai d in Ki tab- ul -Amwa l , "The Hol y Pr ophet

(PBUH) gave a dona on to a Jewi sh fami ly and it con nued t o be del i vered e ven a er ( the Holy Prophet 's departure from this world )."

Sixthly, Islamic state is responsible for the protec on and secur i ty of mi nor i es. If i t has

entered into an agreement with another na on, the pr ot ec on a nd s ecur i ty of the l a er al so

falls under its domain of responsibility.

One of the condi ons that defined t he a greemen t s bet wee n Mus l ims and the conquered non-Muslim minori es wa s that the Isl ami c gover nme nt woul d be res ponsi bl e for pr ovi si on

of basic necessi es and secur i ty of lives of the mi nor i es. The Peace Agr eemen t , whi ch was

struck with the residents of the Heera had the following wri en in it: "A non-Mu sl im wh o

grows ol d and cannot work or becomes disabled due to a natural calamity or he was

113

previously rich but has become poor due to some untoward happening, the government

would not charge any ta x from such calamity-stricken people. Rathe r these people and their

families would be provided with the maintenance allowance out of official treas ury. " (Ibn

Rushd, Badi yat-ul-Mujtahid, vol. 2, p. 310 )

The minori es cannot be comp el led to render def ence ser vi ces. Rat her , it is the

responsibility o f the Islamic state to defend them. Since the Islamic state is responsible for

the protec on of lives, honour and proper ty of the mi nor i es and t hey do not have a ny other obliga on wi th regar d to def ence, they are liabl e to cont ri but e financi all y to t he

Islamic state in the form of a ta x called Jizya. Even then, Islam has taught a bout jus ce and

good manners when it comes to the imposi on of Ji zya on the mi nor i es.

Due to space constraint, I cannot delve deeper into the Islamic history to prove empirically

how minori es we r e treated in an Isl ami c stat e. The repr ehensi bl e Go j ra- styl e inci dent s happen because of our society's lack of knowledge of actual teachings of Islam. The vacuum

of knowledge so created is bridged by the semi-literate clergy with no e xposure to the

Islamic historical tradi on, dema nds of contemp or ar y ag e and chal lenges of fut ur e.

114

Shaykh-ul-Islam addresses American Muslim Council on ‘Islam & Peace’

A merican M uslim C ouncil, in coordination with M inhaj-ul-Q uran International North

A merica (Hous ton Chapter), o rganized a dinner in honour of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr.

M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri, who is currently on tour o f the USA. The Event was organized

at H ilton Hotel in Southwest area of Houston, t he largest c ity in the State of Texas , and

the fourth largest c ity in the United States.

The leaders of C hristian, Jewish, Hindu, Bhudda communities and other religions also

attended the event alo ng wit h hundreds of Muslims . M r. Shahid A li Sunni, founder and

chairman of American Mus lim Counc il, welcomed all the gues ts and thanked Shaykh-ul-

Is lam for attending the event. Shaykh-ul-Is lam delivered a very comprehens ive speech

on the topic of “Is lam and Peace”. He said that those perpetrating terrorism in name of

religion were t he wors t enemies of Is lam and had nothing to do with our great religion .

Such elements were bent on bringing Is lam into dis repute through t heir misguided

actions . He said that Islamic teachings and injunctions clearly denounced the

perpetrators of doom and gloom. There is a need to expose such elements through

courageous stands .

115

Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri said that he had passed a religious edic t dec laring such

people infidels in t he light of teachings of the Holy Q uran, Hadith and Jurisprudence. He

said that this edic t consisted of 600 pages and was now under the process of publication,

which would be tra ns lated in the leading languages of the world. Shaykh-ul-Is lam

emphas ized the need of fostering dialogue and engagement among different religions to

foil all conspirac ies aimed at maligning all divine religious .

Leaders of other religions apprec iated Shaykh-ul-Is lam's contributions, effo rts for

promotion o f peace, interfaith harmony and dialogue among c ivilizations , and further

116

urged that his message should be spread to other people in t he community so that they

should unde rs tand the true picture of Is lam.

Selec ted clips from Shaykh-ul-Is lam's videos were played on a big sc reen in the hall.

A ttendees kept on watching the c lips till Shaykh-ul-Is lam arrived.

A t the end o f the event , joint salat-o-salam was offered on P rophet M uhammad (PBUH)

by all the partic ipants inc luding non-Mus lim leaders . The Event was broadcast live on the

internet and was watched by many people worldwide.

MQI-NA (Houston C hapter) arranged special folders as gifts for all t he pa rtic ipants who

attended the event . Folders contained p rofile o f Shayk h-ul-Is lam, introduction of M inhaj-

ul-Q uran, DVDs and audio CDs of Shaykh-ul-Is lam's lectures on selec ted topics , and

membership forms of MQ I-NA . Exhibition of Shaykh-ul-Islam's books and DVDs was also

part of the event a nd it was attended by many participants . Everyone showed a lot of

interes t in Shaykh-ul-Islam's books and DV Ds.

117

In addition to a bove event , two othe r events took place in Houston at the houses of

brothers Naeem and brother Zafa r Iqbal. Shaykh-ul-Islam met the partic ipants and gave

answers to the questions asked by the partic ipants .

118

Seminar on Interna onal Amb assador of Peace

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/7636

In con nua on of the ongoi ng week-

long celebra ons ma rki ng the 58t h bi rth

anniversary of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr

Muhammad Tahir -ul-Qadri, a seminar

on Interna onal Amb as sador of Peace

was held under the aegis o f Minhaj-ul-

Quran Interna onal on Febr uar y 14,

2009 at the al-Hamra Hall. The former

gove rnor of Punjab, Ghulam Mustafa Khar presided ove r. Sahbi zada Hussain Mohi-ud-Din

Qadri, member of Supreme Council (MQI ), and Ms Farzana Raja, Federal Minister and

chairman Bena zir Income Support Programme (BISP ), graced the occasion as the chief

guests. The speakers included people of na onal emi nence such as forme r for ei gn sec retar y

Shamshad Ahmad Khan, former chief secretary Punjab Javed Qureshi, intellectual, security

analyst and poli cal comme ntat or Dr Ha ssan Askar i Ri zvi , Sec ret ary General MQ I , Dr Raheeq

Ahmad Abbasi, Secretary General PAT Anwar Akhtar Advocate, ANP leader Ehsan Wain and

the renowned actor Shujaat Hashmi. In addi on to Na i b Naz im- e- Al a Shei kh Zahi d Fayyaz ,

Director Foreign Affai rs G. M. Ma l ik, Shahi d Lat eef Qadr i , Mu hamma d Jawa d Hami d, Sohai l

Ahmad Raza, Muhammad Aqil Malik, Shahzad Rasool Qadri, Abdul Hafeez Chaudhry and Prof

Zulifqar Ali, a large number of people, both men and women, belonging to differ ent wa l ks of

life par ci pat ed in the semi nar .

A special prayer for late Pir Syed Naseer-ud-Din Naseer who died on Friday due to cardiac

arrest was made in the beginning of seminar.

Federal Minister Farzana Raja said in her speech that Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri was

making an important contribu on by hi ghl igh ng t he t rue f ace of Islam i n the mod er n age

marked by confusion, misinterpreta on and di stor on. The men on of h i s servi ces f or g l obal

peace, human development and i nterfaith dialogue was like showing a candle to the sun as

these are known to all and sundry both in Pakistan and abroad. She said that she was

119

witness to the fact that Shaheed Mohtrama Bena zir Bhu o wa s a life me mb er of Mi nhaj -ul -

Quran Interna onal and hel d Dr Mu hamma d Tahi r-ul -Qa dr i in hi gh es teem. She sai d that Dr

Tahir -ul-Qadri holds prominent posi on amo ng the cont emp orar y int el lectual s and scho l ar s

of interna onal reput e. Hi s ser vi ces for the cause of peace di s ngu i s h him f rom o ther s.

Ghulam Mustafa Khar, former governor Punjab, said in his address that Dr Muhammad

Tahir -ul-Qadri was a great man gi ed wi th the uni que qual i es of head a nd hear t . In s pi t e of

the fact that he did not belong to any poli cal or weal thy fami ly, he s l l mad e his mar k

reaching the level of na onal and inter na onal cel ebr i ty. He s ai d t hat it was a ma er of

great pleasure for him that he signed the BA degree of such a man of eminence as governor.

Shakyh-ul-Islam owes his status and honour to the love for the Holy Prophet (saw) and his

Household. He won fame and high stature in poli cs but rose even hi gher in pub l ic esteem

a er he gave up pol i cs.

He said Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qa dri was the only man whose fame and knowledge grew

with the passage of me . “He is above greed, fear and sel f-int er es t. He is wo rki ng hard to

change the thinking of the people of Pakistan in par cul ar an dt he Mu s l im Umma in gener al .

Once this thinking undergoes change, the system and pa er ns of gover nme nt woul d al so

change,” he held. Both country and democracy could not func on wi thout a good leader .

“The services of Dr Tahir-ul -Qadri in intellectual, e duca onal and scho l ar ly doma i ns ar e a

ma er of honour for Pak i stan, ” he conc l uded.

Former foreign secretary of Pakistan and poli cal comme ntat or , Shams had Ahma d Khan,

said that Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri was a mul -facet ed personal ity and wa s like a ray of

hope in this murky and dark environment. His services for the promo on of peace des erve

apprecia on. “He is a schol ar , researcher , a lawy er , author and pol i cian at the s ame me

and to top it all, he speaks for the humanity. His services for interfaith dialogue and harmony

were historic,” he observed. Shamshad Ahmad lamented the fact that human minds were

gripped by disorder and not peace. Dr Tahir-ul -Qadri was working for elimina on of di sorder

and cha os by promo ng cohes i on and integ ra on, he s ai d.

Secretary General MQI, Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi said in his speech that Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr

Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri was a great man of this century and his diverse contribu ons

would con nue to influence t he comi n g cent ur i es. He s ai d that Shaykh-u l- Islam h ad

authored 1000 books, delivered 5000 lectures, set up the branches of his organiza on in

more than 91 countries of the world with 67 Islamic centres and a chartered university,

120

which produced hundreds of scholars i ncluding 90 such scholars who were busy spreading

peace and harmony across the world. He said that Shaykh-ul-Islam’s services in the fiel d of

educa on and we l far e we r e ma ni fest from the es tabl ishme nt of 572 school s, 42 col leges,

Orphan Home Care for 500 orphans and rehabilita ve and recons truc ve efforts i n Ts unami ,

Kashmir quake, Balochistan and Bam quake and Ghaza under his leadership. He said that the

next century would bel ong not to Bush, Blair or Musharraf but to Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul-

Qadri.

Security analyst Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi said that Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri’s services for peace were

prominent because he held onto honesty and sincerity for promo on of real me ssage of

Islam.

Awami Na onal Par ty’ s leader Ehs an Wa i n sai d that terror ism and ex tremi sm coul d be

eliminated by benefi ng f rom t he vision of Dr Muh amma d Tahi r -ul - Qadr i .

121

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri's birthday celebra ons in the Chur ch

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/7652

Dated: 17 February 2009

Rev. Dr. Majid Abel, Pastor In charge of Naulakha Presbyterian Church and General Secretary Interfaith Peace Council and an esteemed friend of Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri, organized and hosted a graceful Peace Seminar to honor Shaykh-ul -Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir -ul-Qadri on his 58th birthday. Mr. Mathew D Lowe (American Poli cal Officer), Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi (Secretary Gene ral MQI ), Dr Kanwal Feroz (well know poet, scholar), Syed Peer Usman Noori, Chairman Inter faith peace council, Noushairwan Dastoor (Zoroastrian leader), Dr. Munwar Chand (Hindu leader), M r. Anthony Ijaz Lamuel, Mr. Qaiser Julius (Director OTS), Mr. Muhammad Mustafa (G.M. Malik) (Personal Sec retary to Dr. Tahir -ul-Qadri and director foreign Affai rs) , Si ster Shakeel a (Pr i nc i pal Don Bas co Hi gh School ), Ahma d Nawa z Anjum, Mian Zahid Islam, Jawad Hamid and Sohail Ahmad Raza. This seminar represented leaders of almost all communi es wh o pai d ri ch tri bute to Shay kh- ul -Isl am Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri for his services in differ ent fields i ncl udi ng promo on of peace, love, inte gra on and int er f ai th di al ogue.

122

Rev. Dr. Majid Abel expressed in his opening speech that “Na ulakha Presbyterian Church, One of the Largest Churches in Pakistan, is proud of its strong rela onshi p wi th Mi nhaj -ul - Quran. I don’t hesitate to confess that the first step towa r d thi s friendshi p wa s taken by most respec ul and generous Dr . Tahi r- ul -Qadr i. And thi s pr ogram is bei ng arranged to celebrate the life and achievements o f Dr. Tahir -ul-Qa dri as an emissary of peace and as our esteemed friend. Dr. Tahir -ul -Qadri is a man of his words and has made prac cal demonstra ons of hi s lov e and fri ends hi p towa rd other commu ni es i n Paki stan. Every year he invites Chris an commu ni ty at MQ I to cel ebrat e Chr i stma s and he even dec l ared, addressing the media that his mosque was open for Chris ans to wo r shi p any me. ”

Following his speech Dr. Abel invited all of the honored guests to join him to cut a birthda y cake for Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir -ul -Qadri.

123

Addressing the seminar, American Poli cal Officer, Math ew D Lowe, s aid that the di al ogue between Islam and other religions should con nue. Dr Tahi r- ul -Qa dr i 's endeavor s for promo on of int er fai th har mo ny and gl obal peace des er ved to be appr ec i at ed.

Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi said that Shakyh-ul-Islam's effor ts for el imi na on of ext remi s t tendencies and promo on of di al ogue amo ng ci vi liza ons , cul t ures and r eli gions wer e recognized globally. The very fact that leaders of differ ent mi nor i es wer e pre sent to celebrate his birthday indicated that his life was devoted to promo on of peace, har mo ny and love among religions and humanity.

Dr Kunwal Fe roz said in his remarks that Dr Tahir -ul -Qadri was the pi oneer of ini a ng Muslim-Chris an di al ogue in Pak i stan wh en he es tabl ished Mu sl im- Chr i s an Dia logue Forum. He is the ambassador of global peace projec ng such val ues as cul tur e of tol er ance, mutual coe xistence and forbearance. The Chris an commu ni ty hol ds hi s ser vi ces in hi gh esteem.

Sister Shakeela said that purpose of every reli gion was to impart love and Dr Tahir -ul -Qadri had played effec ve r ol e i n s preadi ng t he I slami c concept of l ove f or min or i es.

124

Secretary General o f Pakistan Bible Society, Anthony Eja z Lamuel, said that there was need to work hard on promo ng humi lity and love in the soci et y. Dr Tahi r- ul -Qadr i has pl ayed important role in popularizing and fostering construc ve and pos i ve a t udes. Other leaders should also follow him i n his footprints.

Zoroastrian leader Noushairwan Dastoor prayed to God to gi ve long life and health to Dr Tahir -ul-Qadri so that the society could get peace on sustained basis.

Hindu leader Munwar Chand commented that the love and respec t Dr Tahir -ul -Qadri extended towards the minori es di d not have any ma t ch in Paki stani hi stor y. Dr . Qa dr i has worked hard in spreading the concept of rights o f minori es gi ven by Isl am. He is the representa ve of the wh ol e huma ni ty and real amb as sador of peace.

Mr. Muhammad Mustafa (G.M. Malik) said in his speech that Dr. Majid Abel had put together a beau ful bouquet of di fferent flower s i n the f orm of t he vari ety of l eaders of differ ent commu ni es present at the s emi n ar . He f urt her sai d we wou l d have t o bri ng down walls of hatred, narrow-mindedness and e xtremist a tudes t o be abl e t o mov e f orwar d. Dr. Qadri had been instrumental i n promo on of huma ni tar i an val ues in soc i et y.

Ahmad Nawaz Anjum, Jawad Hamid and Sohail Ahmad Raza also spoke at the seminar.

125

US Chris an De l ega on Vis its Cent r al Secr etari at

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/9137

Dated: 16 October 2009

The 8 -member US Chris an del ega on l ed by Mr.

Leif Hetland, President Global Mission Awareness

visited the Cent ral Secretariat o f Minhaj-ul-Quran

Interna onal on Oc t 16, 2009. The other me mb er s

of the delega on inc l uded Dr Ma rqus Fi da,

Timothy Ha , Todd Bevan, Loi s Goff, Kat her i ne

Rody, Kathy Garker, Jasson Reilly Chris Ishak and

Mr. Javed Akhtar.

Upon their arri val at the Central Secretariat, the guests were welcomed by the central leadership of MQI le d by Director Forei gn Affai rs Mr Mu hamma d Mu s taf a (GM Ma l ik) ,

Director Interfaith Dialogue and Harmony Mr. Sohail Raza and Director of Event

Management Mr. Jawad Hamid.

The delega on exchang ed vi ews wi th the leaders of

Minhaj-ul-Quran Interna onal on ma ers of mut ual interests. Naib Ameer-e -Tehreek Brig (r) Iqbal Ahmed

and Director Foreign Affai rs Mr . Mu hamma d Mu s taf a

(GM Malik) gave a brief introduc on of MQ I and its

various departments. He told the delega on that MQ I

was working for the spread of global peace and harmony within the communi es. At a me whe n t he

holy name of Islam is being exploited by the terrorists

for their evil agenda, the MQI was engaged in the effor ts for hi ghl igh ng the t rue t eachi ngs

Islam under the inspiring leadership of world of

renowned scholar Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad ul-Qadri. Tahir-

delega on appr eci at ed the ser vi ces bei ng The

rendered by Shaykh-ul -Islam Dr Muhammad

ul-Qadri, for the spread of interna onal peace Tahir-

harmony. Represen ng the del ega on, Mr. and Heland said that there was a dire need to build bridges among the communi es in order to

develop be er under standi ng about one anot her . He sai d al l rel igi ons pr eached love, peace

and mutual co-e xistence by urging their adherents to shun violence. He also emphasized the

need of boos ng such ex changes.

126

The US delega on pai d wa r m tri but es to the servi ces of Dr . Mu hamma d Tahi r-ul -Qa dr i ,

Chairman Pakistan Awami Tehreek, and Minhaj-ul -Quran Interna onal for pr omo ng peace,

harmony, tolerance, sympathy and love at na onal as we l l as int er na onal level s . They

greatly a ppreciated Dr. Qadri 's valuable cont ribu ons to educ a on, wel f are, inter- f aith

diaogue and said they are unique. The US delega on then awa rded peace awa r d to Pr of . Dr .

Tahir -ul-Qadri in recogni on of hi s comme ndabl e effort s rega rdi ng promo on of peace,

tolerance and inter faith dialogue. Ameer-e -Tehreek Miskeen Faiz-ur-Rahman Khan Durrani and Mr. Muhammad Mustafa (GM Malik) received the award on behalf of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

who is currently abroad.

The visit was undertaken under the Muslim-Chris an Di al ogue For um as a part of effort s f or

developing unde rstanding and curtailing differ ences amo ng commu ni es. The del ega on

visited various departments and branches of MQI and appreciated the set-up. At the end they were seen off by the cent ral leader s of MQ I .

Dr Raheeq Abbasi (Secretary general MQI) meets DG (Religious Affai rs) of Spain

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/8647

Dated: 05 June 2009

O n J une 15, 2009, S ecretary Genera l o f M inhaj- ul-Q uran Inte rna tional, D r R aheeq A hmad A bbasi,

called on Director Genera l d ’Afe rs Re ligiosos , Ms

Montese rrat Co ll, in her o ffice along with a delegation.

The delegation included Muhammad Naeem Chaudhry,

A llam a M uhammad Iqba l Azam, Muhammad Nawaz

K iyani, Naveed A hmad Unda lasi, Muhammad Iqbal

C haudrhy, Z il-e-Hassan, Khurram S habbir.

Muhammad Iqba l C haudhry , president o f M inha j

R econc il iation C ounc il, introduced MQI and its se rv ices

in m ultiple fields and Dr Abbasi to the Director General

fo r Re ligious A ffa irs . Dr Raheeq A bbasi gave a comprehensive introduction about the work and

persona lity o f S haykh-ul-Islam D r M uhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri as well as various programmes and

projects o f MQI throughout the world. The S ecre tary Genera l sa id that MQI was going to arrange a

three-day tra ining camp by the name o f Peace and I ntegration fo r the Pakistanis living in Europe in

127

Ital ian city o f M ilan. Muhammad Naeem Chaudhry threw light on the role and m ission o f MQ I in the

F rench language and inv ited her to v isit the MQ I Centre in France.

B oth leaders agreed that the te rrorism be ing pe rpe trated in the name o f Islam was in fact a

heinous conspiracy to de fame Islam and Muslims . I t had nothing to do with rel ig ion. Islam does not

a llow anyone to kill fe llow human be ings . The re is a need to accelerate e ffo rts fo r establishment of

peace . M s M onteserra t C oll told the Sec re ta ry G eneral MQI that s he was aware o f the activities o f

MQI Barcelona and was happy with the work of the organization. She said that MQI Barcelona’s

in it ia tives fo r inte rfaith harmony and multicultura l unde rstanding were exempla ry and dese rved

apprecia tion. She also told that president o f Ca talonia had partic ipated twice in the programmes of

the Pakis tani community on the invitation o f MQ I. O ne o f suc h mee tings was he ld in M inha j Islam ic

C entre B arcelona attended also by all the Imams of the Mosques of C atalonia .

MQI Secretary General visits Catalonia Socialist Party’s Headquarters, meets its leaders

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/8804

Dated: 15 June 2009 O n J une 15, 2009, D r R aheeq A hmad A bbas i, S ecreta ry Genera l of M inha j- ul-Q uran I nte rna tional

v isited the H eadquarter o f Social ist Party of

C atalonia (PSC) and held meeting with the party ’s

leade rship. D r A bbasi was accompanied by a

delegation comprising M uhammad Naeem

C haudhry , senio r vic e president o f M inha j European

C ouncil, A llama M uhammad Iqba l A zam, Sec reta ry

General, Muhammad Nawaz Kiyani, patron o f MQ I

S pa in, Naveed A hmad U ndalasi, Muhammad Iqbal

C haudhry , president of M inha j R econcil ia tion

C ouncil, Z il- e-Hassan, M uhammad A tiq, Yousuf Bila l and Khurrum Shabbir. Sec re ta ry O rganization,

J ose Maria Sa la , represented the Social ist Pa rty delegation in the meeting.

M uhammad Iqba l Chaudhry o f Reconciliat ion Council introduced J ose Maria Sala to MQI, its leade r

D r M uhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri, and S ecre tary Genera l D r Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi. Dr A bbasi brie fed

the Soc ial ist Party leade r about the various pro jects and organizational work of M inhaj- ul-Q uran

Inte rnational. Jose M aria Sala to ld the MQI delegation that the party was completely in touch with

the local leaders hip o f MQ I and the Pak istani community . The m atte rs o f mutual inte res ts als o

came under d iscussion.

The MQI ’s de lega tion was conduc ted to various parts of S ocia list Pa rty’s Headquarte r. J ose M aria

S ala brie fed about the histo ry and ac tiv it ies o f the Social ist Party . He to ld the de lega tion tha t the

Party wanted to include eve ry c ommunity into the na tional m ainstream through sustained

engagement and interaction. It s hould be kept in mind that the Socialist Pa rty is the ruling party in

S pa in.

128

Directorate of Interfaith Rela ons or gani zes a na onal semi n ar

ww.minha j.org/english/ d/8807/ h p: //w

Dated: 13 August 2009

Directorate of Inte rfaith Rela ons

of Minhaj-ul-Quran Interna onal

organized a na onal semi nar on

August 13 to mark the Independence Day in the central

secretariat of MQI. Fai z-ur-

Rahman Durrani, the central

president of MQI presided over

the seminar, while Pundit Baghat

Lal, Noushair F. Dastoor, Bishop

Yousuf, Dr Kanwal Feroz, Jacqueline Tresslor and Pastor Denial graced the occasion as chief

guests. Ac ng Sec ret ary Gener al of MQ I , Shei kh Zahi d Fayyaz , PAT ’s Sec retar y Gener al

Anwar Akhtar Advocate, Director Inter faith Rela ons Sohai l Ahma d Raz a, Jawa d Hami d and

other leaders o f PAT and MQI were also present on the occasion.

The proceedings of the programme started with recita on of the Hol y Qu ran fol lowe d by a

beau ful Nas heed. Na onal ant hem a nd I ndependenc e Day s ongs wer e also present ed. The

speakers expressed their vow to make prac cal effort s f or na onal progre ss on t his

auspicious day. There is a need to highlight the Quaid-e -Azam’s Pakistan, which was

moderate and enlightened. The speakers agreed that PAT and MQI played due role in the na onal devel opme nt and the organi za on of the na onal semi na r s howed t hat ever y cl ass

of society was free to air its views.

Speaking on the occasion, Sohail Ahmad Raza said that MQI was working for the promo on

of inter faith harmony and dialogue among different ci vi liza on i n t he en r e worl d. On t he

special instruc ons of Shaykh- ul -Isl am, Paki stan Da y wa s bei ng cel ebr at ed both ins i de as we l l as outside Pa kistan. He said that doors of the MQI’s cent ral secretariat were open for

everyone.

129

Directorate of Interfaith Rela ons del ega on par ci pat es in the fes val of ‘Besakhi ’

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/8448

Dated: 20 April 2009

The Governor House hos ted a ce remony to celebrate the Sikh festival o f ‘B esakhi’ on A pri l 20,

2009. A large number o f the S ikh pilgrims came to

Pak istan to pay regards to the ir rel igious p laces .

Sohail A hmad Raza Director Interfaith Rela tions

we lcomed the S ikh pilgrims along with Sayyid A sif

Has hmi, C hairman Evac uee Trust B oard and o the r

government o fficials a t the Wagha border, Lahore .

The Governor House had made arrangements o f

dinner in the honour o f the visiting Sikh p ilgrims

where Sohail A hmad Raza and his delegation were

a lso invited. O the r members of MQI delegation included M ian Z ahid Islam, J awad Hamid, N asir

Iqba l Advocate, Q azi Fa iz-ul-Islam, Zees han Baig, Ha fiz Ghulam Farid Siddiqi, H a fiz Sa fdar A li, Q azi

M ahmud-ul-Islam , Q adeer A li, and Istikhar A li S a jid.

The delegation o f the Sikh p ilgrims was led by Sardar S ureng Singh, Sardar Balwinder Singh, and

S ardar Sohan S ingh. Sayyid Asif Has hmi, cha irm an Evacuee Trust Board, addit iona l secreta ry

S iddiq K hurram, adminis trator Sayy id Fa raz Abbas, and Sardar B ashan Singh, c hairman Baba G uru

Nanak Welfa re Society welcomed the MQ I de lega tion. Sayyid Asif Hashmi s aid on the occasion that

MQI was working to pro ject and promote the real teachings o f Islam around the world unde r the

leade rship o f Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri. He said they were proud tha t s uch an enlightened

scholar belongs to Pakis tan.

S peaking on the occasion, Sohail Ahmad Raza, d irector Inte rfaith Relations MQI , said that M inha j-

ul-Q uran Interna tiona l was a unique Islamic Movement o f the world, busy prom oting the inte rfa ith

harmony and dialogue among c ommunities under the inspiring leade rship o f Dr Muhammad Tahir-

ul-Q adri. He said tha t MQ I was te ll ing the world tha t te rrorism, extremism and s ecta rianism had

nothing to do with Islam . Islam stands fo r peace , interfaith harm ony , bro therhood and peace ful

coexistence among re ligions and cultures . D r Tahir- ul-Q adri ’s book “Human Rights in Islam” was

g ifted to the Sikh pilgrims.

130

MQI delega on par cipat es i n a Hindu f es val Diwa li celebra ons

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/9213 Dated: 17 October 2009

A de lega tion of D irectorate o f Interfa ith Relations o f M inhaj-ul-Q uran Interna tional, led by D irector

S ohail A hmad Raza partic ipated in the rel ig ious festival o f the Hindu community . Evacuee Trust

B oard o f Government o f Pakistan had ex tended a specia l inv itation to the de legation of MQI to

participa te in the festiva l which was held on O ctobe r 17 , 2009 in Sri Kris hna Temple , Rav i R oad,

Lahore. B esides Soha il A hmad Raza , the MQ I delegation com prised A bdul H a fiz C haudhry, A bdur

R ahm an Siddiqui, Sahibzada Ift ikhar- ul-Hassan C his hti and Q azi Mahmood-ul-Islam . The Hindu

famil ies from across L ahore and its suburbs participa ted in the festival in a la rge number. T he

organizing committee o f the ceremony c onsis ted of Dr M unawar Chand, Suneil K umar, P rof A shok

K umar, D r Ra jaender Kumar and Jay Pa l.

K amran M ichael, provincial m inister for m inorit ies, A zhar Sulehri, sec re ta ry A uqa f, A zhar Abbas ,

S aleem Sandhu and o the r delegations belonging to diffe rent wa lks o f l i fe also a ttended the

ceremony .

In his talk, S hoha il A hmad R aza , Director o f I nte rfa ith

R ela tions of MQ I, sa id that he was there to represent

S haykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Q adri who was

working hard fo r promotion o f interfaith dia logue , peace

and harmony in the world. H e said that MQI under the

dynamic leaders hip o f Dr Muhammad T ahir-ul-Q adri

believed in m ulticultura l inclusive society where

m inorit ies had constitutiona l guarantees for the

protection o f the ir rights in accordance with the princip les

o f Islam. He s aid that D r Muhammad Tahir- ul-Q adri always condemned terrorism, ex tremism and

v iolent tendencies at al l leve ls and prom oted the idea o f engagement with people o f al l faiths and

re ligions to remove mutual hatreds and m isunderstandings . He urged the need o f fo rging unity

among fol lowers of al l re ligions to address the scourges o f te rro rism and extremism .

131

The organize rs o f the ceremony thanked the MQ I de lega tion for its participa tion in the programme.

Directorate of Interfaith Rela ons ; MQ I del ega on par ci pates i n a Hindu fes val 'Hol i'

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/8823

Dated: 20 April 2009

On March 20, 2009, the Hindu cultural fes val of ‘Hol i’ wa s cel ebr at ed ac ros s the wo r l d including Pakistan. A ceremony was held in Hera Krishna Temple in Lahore. On the invita on of leaders o f Hindu community like Dr Munohar Cha nd, Dr Souraish, Prof Ashok Kumar and Dr Suneil Kumar, a MQI delega on led by Sohai l Ahma d Raza, di rector of MQ I ’s Di rector at e of Inter faith Rela ons, par cipat ed i n t he f es val.

Speaking on the occasion, Sohail Ahmad Raza felicitated the Hindu community on this cultural fes val on behal f of al l Paki stani s. He said Islam is a universal and balanced religion, which has placed special emphasis on the protec on of ri ght s of mi nor i es. Bei ng a Muslim it is the fundamental obliga on to protect the rights o f the minori es . He sai d that Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul-Qadri is working for the promo on of peace, int er f ai th harmony and dialogue among civiliza ons to br idg e gaps and fos ter understandi ng . It is in this backdrop that he set up a Directorate in MQI to cater to this aspect. There is another forum by the name of Muslim-Chris an Di al ogue For um, whi ch wor ks for fos ter i ng di al ogue between Muslims and Chris ans . He sai d that MQ I bel ieves in the cul tur e of tol erance and mutual harmony among different fai ths . “I t is due to servi ces of Shaykh- ul -Isl am Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri that he has been given the tl e of Amb as sador of Peace” he concluded.

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Minhaj-ul-Qur’an Students visit St Johns Church

h p: //www. mc df .inf o/ en. php? d=9058

(22nd Jan 2009)

Reverend Darren McIndoe of St Johns Church

and Becci Fryat of the Catholic faith flicki ng thr ough photos

Students at Minhaj-ul-Qur’an Interna onal London vi si ted St Johns Chur ch in St ra ord ( East London) as part of their interfaith work with the Faith ful Friends organisa on.

The first vi si t of thi s proj ect wa s to Mi nhaj -ul -Qur ’an Inter na ona l London i tsel f . At St J ohns Church, some photos were displayed using a projector screen with the a endees bei ng asked how important they were to them in their daily lives and whether the y held any religious importance. There were photos of money, celebri es, bui ldi ng s and ot her items . Everyone found it surprising that most of the faith groups shared the same types of views on certain photos such as giving importance to helping the elderly, caring for the sick and helping the poor. The majority agreed that items such as wealth, celebri es and br and label s were not very important i n the life of a faithful pe rson. Howeve r, some pointed out that wealth, celebri es and brand label s can o en be used t o a ct as rol e mod e l s f or soci ety and hence play an important role in the life o f a person of faith. At the end, photos with symbols and places of worship belonging to different fai th groups we r e di spl ayed and the par ci pants we r e as ked to iden fy t hem. Everyone l ear nt a l ot through t hi s .

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The at tendees were divided into sm all groups to discuss the photos

between themselves bef ore sharing their thoughts with everyone else. You see he r brother M uneeb of the Muslim Youth League d iscussing

an image w ith Chri st ian and Hindu youth in his team.

This was fol lowed by a tour o f the C hurc h. Non-C hristians lea rnt tha t the re were actually different k inds of C rosses used in Christianity . The Ca tholic fa ith a lways has a model o f Jesus (peace be upon him ) on it whils t the C hurch o f England prohib its it. Many o f the C hristians present were a lso unaware that Muslims too be lieved in Jesus . They als o learnt that M uslims have a lot o f sto ries surrounding the blessed Mary and the birth o f J esus (Isa ( a layhis-salam )) and were astonished to learn of a chapter being named a fte r he r in the Holy Q ur’an: C hapter Maryam (M ary ).

R eve rend Darren, a young pries t at the C hurch who led the tour gave some historic information regarding it. This was fol lowed by a light disc ussion about how m uch re ligion plays a pa rt in the l ife o f the a ttendees . Reverend D arren explained that al l of his l i fe s hould be governed by B ible . It was a lso pointed out that although S iste r Nas ra is not a priest, wearing a scarf c ould be said to be a sign o f prac ticing her rel igion in all walks of her li fe . Ra fiq mentioned tha t historical ly , m any women in m ost faiths wore the scarf which is why pictures o f the b lessed M ary depict he r with a veil. B rother Usman mentioned that he tries to attend the Mosque for al l his 5 prayers thus stressing the l ink he has with the mosque . Although such prayers are not found in Christ ianity , s ome o f the students from a local Ca tholic school po inted out that they a ttended Church almost daily .

A endees to the Fai thf ul Fr iends me e ng wit h the mai n ar s cally designed Church wi ndow

in the background. Rev D arre n demons tra ng how Chr i s ans kneel for prayer. Reve rend Darre n demonstra ng the appa r atus and pr ocedur e for ba p sm.

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Minhaj Youth Delegation visits Gurdwara

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/9063

(30th March 09 )

The Faith ful Friends Youth group was set up by Newhams Voluntary Network Centre (VNC). The event began with a tour of Neville Road Gurdwara in East Ham. Everyone was asked to cover their heads in the main prayer hall out of respect. The photo below is o f the loca on where the holy book of the Sikh faith is kept.

The area below is where the Sikh holy book is kept.

A endees we r e then spl it into groups to dr aw pi ctur es descr i bi ng wh at they thoug ht we re good and bad things about Newham and how they could help improve the borough. You seen Usman Shah below from the Minhaj Youth giving his thoughts.

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Inaugural c eremony of Minhaj Reconc iliation Counc il

h p: //www. mi nhaj .org/engl ish/ d/9234 Dated: 01 November 2009

A ceremony was held on November 1, 2009 under the ba nner of Minhaj-ul-Quran Interna onal to inaug ur ate the office of Minh aj Reconc i l i a on Counc i l (MRC) i n Kha ri an (Gujrat). Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi, Secretary General o f MQI, presided over the programme, while Mr. Robe rt Kevile, Norwegian ambassador to Pakistan, was the guest of honour on the occasion. Other dis ngui shed personal i es i ncl uded Chaudhr y Tahi r Zaman Kai r a, PPP president of District Gujrat, Mian Asghar Hayat, District Naib Nazim, Mian Ir fan Naseer, Tehsil Naib Nazim Kharian, Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, M.D. of Minhaj Reconcilia on Counc i l Europe and Sohail Ahmad Raza, Director Inter faith Affai rs of MQ I .

Mr. Rober Ke vile, Norwegian ambassador and Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi jointly inaugurated the office of Min haj Reconci l ia on Counc i l , whic h i s locat ed i n Al -Fazal Plaz a on GT Road Kharian. A huge building houses the office of MRC . Ijaz Ahmad Cha udhry , MD of MRC , Zaeem Shaukat, vice president of MRC Norwa y and Samiya Naz we re also present on the occasion. An inaugural ce remony was held in the banquet hall of a local hotel. Earlier Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi welcomed His Excellency M r. Ambassador upon his arrival in the ceremony. Small children presented him with bouquet of flowe r s dur ing recep on.

The proceedings of the ceremony got underway with recita on from the Hol y Qur an followed by Naat. Mian Qamar Mahmood, Aliya Akram and Iram Irfan jointl y conducted the proceedings of the programme. Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, M.D. of Minhaj Reconcilia on Counc i l Europe, threw li ght on the aims, background and scope of opera on of the Counci l. He tol d

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the audience that MRC was brought into being in Norway a few years ago under the leadership of Shaykh-ul -Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. The objec ve behi nd the establishment of the forum was to provide the Pa kistani community living in Norway with an arrangement, which could help them find sol u on t o t hei r domes c, f amil i al and commun i t y issues and establish peace. Later on, the opera ons of MR C we r e ex panded to other countries including Spain, Italy, UK, Greece and France where the e xperience has been quite successful.

He told that the Norwegian government and the Pakistan Diaspora appreciated the ini a ve and encoura ged MQI to establish its branches in Pakistan. He said that the pilot project was launched on the place to which majori es of Nor weg i an Paki stani fami lies bel ong. He sai d that MQI was the only Islamic organiza on, wh i ch wa s conveyi ng the real me ssage of Isl am at such a massive scale around the globe. Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri's effor ts for pr omo on of peace, interf ait h d ialogue and har mon y wer e no s ecr et. He a sked the influen al peopl e of the a rea to come f orwar d and j oin hands wit h MQI in carryi ng the sacred mission forward. He also thanked the Norwegian Ambassador for his par ci pa on i n the programme.

Chaudhry Tahir Zaman Qaira, PPP District president, paid glowing tribute to the leadership of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul-Qadri and MQI for their services to humanity in diverse fiel ds . He sai d that Dr Mu hamma d Tahi r-ul -Qa dr i wa s ser vi ng Isl am at gl obal level . His cont ribu ons to the caus e of peace and int er f ai th di al ogue we r e recogni zed by al l and sundry. He welcomed the establishment of local office of MRC i n Khar i an and hoped t hat the forum would deliver effec ve s ervi ces f or the commu n i ty. He ass ured of his hel p and coopera on in that regar d.

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Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi, Sec retary General o f Minhaj -ul-Quran Interna onal , sai d in hi s speech that unfortunately Islam has become one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted religions of the world. The height of it was the fact that the followe rs o f this great Din could not understand its teachings comprehensively and en rel y. Isl am lai d emphasis on acquisi on and pr omo on of knowl edge a nd mad e i t bindi ng on all Mus l i ms, both men and women, to get knowledge but the literacy ra o in the Mu s l im count ri es wa s pathe c to say the leas t . He sai d that Isl am pr omo t ed peace, tol erance and love in the wo r l d but ac on wa s qu i te cont rar y to the teachi ngs. He sai d that MQ I wa s engag ed in the effort s to promote real message of Islam in the en re wo r ld.

His Excellency Mr. Robert Kevile said in his speech that Minhaj Reconcilia on Counc i l pl ayed effec ve r ol e i n t he r esol u on of di sputes , promo o n of re conc i l i a on and har mony i n Norway. It served as a bridge between the Pa kistani Diaspora and the government. It represented the problems, aspira ons and concer ns of the peopl e to the gov er nme nt for affirma ve ac on, whi ch was q ui te hel pf ul for the Nor weg ia n government t o address t he community issues without any loss of me . He we l come d the es tabl ishme nt of local office of MRC in Kharian. He said that the rela ons hi p bet ween No rwe gi an gover nme nt and MR C would get strengthened in the future as well. He thanked Dr Muhammad Tahir -ul -Qadri a nd Mr. Ijaz Ahmad Chauhdry for spearheading such a produc ve ventur e.

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Rana Muhammad Idrees Qa dri, Naib Nazim-e-Ala, administered oaths to office hol ders of MRC that included Mian Qamar Mahmood, Sultan Ghani, Chaudhry Sagheer and Chaudhry Ashfaq Advocate. Syed Farhat Hussain Shah led the concluding Dua.

Minhaj Reconcilia on Counc i l Nor wa y hos ts I ar dinner

h p: //www. mi nhaj over seas .com/ en. php? d=9073 Dated: 15 September 2009

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Con nui ng its pr evi ous tradi on, Min haj Reconc i l ia on Counci l arranged an I ar di nner f or both Muslims and non Muslims. The I aar di nner wa s hos ted on Sept emb er 15 in the

Mosque.

Qari Sialwi started the program by reci ng some verses from the Ho l y Quran. Si ster Iqr a

Mushtaq, Iqra Iqbal and Iqra Ejaz from Minhaj sisters presented a beau ful Naat .

Abduallah Arshad from MRC delivered the welcome a ddress. Ejaz Ahmed Waraich presented

future goals, and how these will be reached. In addi on to al l for ums in the Mi nhaj -ul -Qur an

Oslo, people from other faiths were also present on the i ar par ty. Ma ny non Mu s l ims had come to the Mosque and j oined the Muslims. The Oslo police was represented by Geir Tveit

who also delive red a ve ry nice gi to the leader of Mi nhaj Reconc i lia on Counci l , Ejaz

Ahmed Waraich. This valuable gi wa s gi ven on behal f of the Ch i ef of Os l o Pol ice. Ge i r Tvei t

also told that this gi wa s gi ven to onl y two ot her organi z ons bef ore MRC ; that under l i ned

its importance.

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Priest o f Grønnland Church, Sunni va Gylver, was also present with seven othe r friends from

the church. Sunniva spoke about our great partnershi p, which warmed many hearts. She

men oned, amo ng other thi ng s, semi nar and tour for wo me n wh i ch wa s ar rang ed by us each year.

Espen Foss is both a student and researcher a nd has pre viously interviewed Shaykh-ul-Islam

Muhammad Tahir-ul -Qadri. He spoke about how he always feels at home with MRC at

Minhaj Ul Quran Oslo. Espen praised the friendliness of the organi za on and congratul ated

its workers and leaders for minimizing the gap between differ ent cul tur es.

Bjørn Nytroo is the leader of the workers union ITF. He was pleased with the i aar program.

Geir Dale is Director of his own company dedicated to the work for conflict resol u on. He i s

also an author. He praised partnerships o f different fai ths and congratul ated MQ I on havi ng

“reached new heights in forging interfaith rela ons hi ps”. Mu hamma d As ghar di d a great job

together with other friends of MRC team by arranging this i ar party. Al l the guest s of honor

were presented with CDs and other books wri en by Shyakh- ul -Isl am Dr Mu hamma d Tahi r-

ul-Qadri.

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Conference of the Nordic Forum for Media on and Conflict -Ma nageme nt in Reykj avi k, Icel and

h p: //www. mi nhaj over seas .com/ en. php? d=9130 Dated: 30 September 2009

30 September to 3 October 2009

Nordic Forum for Media on and Conflict brings together people who work with

conflicts in var i ous ar enas - such as fami ly,

school, workplace, courts,

neighbourhoods, and promo on of

interna onal peace. Thos e par cipa ng i n the moots are judges, lawyers, a or ney s and other s who wor k on me di a on.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Recep on at the Reykj avi k Ci ty Hal l by the Ma yor

Par ci pants from Nor wa y, Sweden, Denma rk, Fi nl and and Icel and we re we l come d by the

mayor of Re ykjavik. Here the par ci pants we r e abl e to get to know each ot her in an inf orma l se ng.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The conference was held at Grand Hotel Reykjavik. The conference was opened by the

Chairman of the NFM and Sà , Ing i bj ør g Bj arbardò r, who work s as a lawyer , a medi at or

and was responsible for organizing this conference with the other board members from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, I celand and Finland.

The President o f Iceland, Ólafur Ra gnar Grímsson, honoured with his presence and delivered

a speech.

Main lecture on that day was delivered by Pia Deleuran, a lawye r, mediator and cand.jur.et

art. She gave a speech on” The Competent Mediator - a certain profile eme r gi ng by now and

what role does educa on pl ay?”

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Teuri Brunila was the second lecturer. He is a re red judge in Abo ci vi l cour t and ma yor of

Finland's Forum for the media on.

A er lunch, ther e wa s a lec tur e by Gar ry Raven. Ga rry Raven, a 65- year s- ol d Oj ibwa y Indi an

from the Ea gle clan. He lives in Hallow Water Reserve in Manitoba, Canada. He has also

taught in countries like USA, Russia and Peru. At the conference he spoke about what the

Scandinavian Indians call "sharing circle", how they use it and the importance of the method

in the Indian culture.

Friday, October 02, 2009 Toda y's keynote speech was given by Katrin Jakobsdó r, who i s I cel and' s min is ter for

educa on, res ear ch and cul tur e, as we l l as the cooper a on min is ter for Nor di c coopera on.

Main Lecturer for the day was Grethe North

Helle, who is a psychologist, lawyer and

mediator. She gave a presenta on on the analysis of the causes of conflict s. Timo

Pehrman was the next lecturer. He has master's

degree in social sciences and is the educa on

manager at Valio Oy in Finland. He spoke about

the e xpe rience and research findi ng s on restora ve me di a on at the wor kpl ace.

A er Timo Pehr ma n, Anni ka Rj me r got the oppor tuni ty to speak. She is a lawy er , as we l l as a

lecturer at the University o f Lund. She gave an interes ng pr esent a on on " Med i a on - a

tool in the management of conflict s. "

A er lunch the par cipant s had t he opport uni t y t o par ci pate i n va ri ous work s hops. Minh aj Reconcilia on Counc i l par cipat ed i n a wor kshop hel d by Mar i anne T el l ing and Bernt Mos t

Lien. The topic for this workshop was”The importance of shame in conflict and conflict

media on”.

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Next workshop was held by Minhaj Reconcilia on Counc i l. The Counc i l hi ghl ight ed the

contribu ons and ser vi ces render ed by it si nce its incep on. The present a on wa s i ni ated

by I ram Shaheen Yasin, who introduced the par ci pants bel ongi ng to MR C and ma de the

audience aware that the MRC is a voluntary organiza on and is a par t of Mi naj -ul -Quran

Interna onal Os l o.

Ejaz Ahmed Waraich, President of the MRC spoke about the intent and purpose of the work

done by MRC. He emphasized Islam and the Minhaj -Ul-Quran’s philosophy in rela on to

socially benefici al wo rk.

Sammia Naz threw li ght on the necessary exper se MR C had to acqui re in or der to wor k on

conflict ma nageme nt and pr even on. She t ol d about the met hods MRC uses i n r ela on t o

conflict me di a on and why i t put s s o muc h emph as i s on preven ve work to av oi d confli c ts.

MRC has sustained engagement with and extends coope ra on to publ ic bod i es in Nor wa y

and works closely with NGOs. Furthermore, she talked about experiences and development

of MRC.

Here, MRC also got the opportunity to introduce Minhaj-Ul-Quran Interna onal and its

supreme leader Shaykh-ul -Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. It highlighted the salient

features of work, role, func ons and cont ri bu ons of MQI and Shaykh- ul- Islam w it h s pec i al

reference to promo on of di al ogue, peace and int er f ai th har mo ny as we l l as we l far e- oriented work across the globe under the banne r of Minhaj Welfare Founda on.

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Saturday, Oc tober 3, 2009

The chie f highlight o f the fourth day was the keynote speech by Greta Gunnarsdo r, the

forei gn minister.

Knut Pe erson and Kr i s n K jell and- Mør dre - j udge s at the Osl o c ivil cour t hel d a wor kshop

where the theme was:”Media on has assi sted neg o a on, di st ri bu on neg o a ons and

interest-based nego a ons” . They ended t he wor kshop wit h a film an d di scussi on.

A general mee ng to el ect a new pr es i dent of NFM and new boar d wa s hel d in the end of the seminar.

Ejaz Ahmed Waraich is the new head of Nordic Forum for Media on and Conflict

Management. He is elected for the ne xt 2 years.

Speaking on the occasion, Ejaz Ahmed Waraich vowed to project the aims and objec ves of the forum, strengthen it economically, and improve communica on.

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